Close Your Eyes
by jade
Summary: First season AU. It was simple, Usagi hated Mamoru, Mamoru hated Usagi but things are about to get a lot more complicated for the two as the events of the first season unfold around them. COMPLETED!
1. Prologue

Well I decided to do a first season Sailor Moon fic. Being on what I could describe as a sugar high because I had read way too many cutesy-woo Usagi/Mamoru fics (The type where like Motoki and Minako plan a whole match making scheme, yeah you know what I'm talking about), made me think that I wanted to do one of those. But then I was like "Nah, those are way too sweet. Better make sure people get off that sugar high." So this is far more darker than I originally planned. Of course it doesn't start out completely dark but just sit back and enjoy the story please, I believe you'll love it.

Note: This will not follow the manga/anime timeline. It does at some points but then quickly goes off into its own little la la land. The beginning takes place after Usagi has found Sailor Venus but has no clue who Tuxie is. This will borrow from both manga and anime timelines though. ^_^!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Warnings: Not really much you need to be warned about. Not yet anyway.

Close Your Eyes

Prologue 

            "Oooooooh Usagi-chan, look what I have!" Aino Minako exclaimed, beaming with happiness. Minako was extremely pretty with long blonde hair that fell down to below her waist and big summer blue eyes. They had just recently met the vibrant blonde who was always happy to see them no matter what the time of day. It seemed like Minako's smile would just not slip no matter how much the world tried to tear her down. "Your favorite!" The blonde was holding the Crown Arcade's most famous sundae that was literally mountains of ice-cream, syrup, candies, and whip cream.

            "Thanks Minako-chan!" Usagi's once slumped and pouty demeanor had melted away instantly at the kindness and the desert offered to her. Tsukino Usagi looked so much like Minako that it was almost scary. Usagi didn't wear a big red bow in her hair like Minako but kept her hair up into two buns with pigtails streaming out of them. 

            "I hope you are not going to try to eat that yourself Usagi." Mizuno Ami spoke up. "You could make yourself sick." Ami was very intelligent but also rather shy of others and had a tendency to start reading in public places because all the people made her nervous. She had pretty blue hair that was in a pixie cut and eyes the exact same shade. 

            "You forget that Odango Atama here could probably pack away this whole arcade and still not be full." Rei quipped. Hino Rei was always making fun of Usagi but they were still good friends. The raven-haired girl had purple eyes that gave her a very exotic look. She had a tendency to be able to switch from the calm, collected priestess that she was to a fiery tempered teenage girl in a matter of moments.

            "Rei-chan!" Usagi wailed indignantly. Minako started eating off the sundae too. "Look, Mina-chan is helping me eat it." 

            "This is great!" Minako's enthusiasm caught on and pretty soon everyone was eating off the gigantic dessert. 

            "We are going to get a lot of cavities." Ami blushed as she went in for yet another bite. 

            "So why were you down Usagi?" Rei asked the blonde who had probably eaten half the dessert herself. 

            "I tried hard to pass my last math test and I got a sixty." Usagi groaned and buried her head in her arms, sundae suddenly forgotten. 

            "Eh?" All the girls made the noise at the same time in surprise. 

            "Usagi-chan, that's not really that bad." Makoto tried to comfort her. Kino Makoto who came off as a violent and mistrusting girl to others was actually very kind-hearted. Though she excelled in karate, her main talent was for cooking. Makoto had chestnut brown hair which she always kept up in a ponytail and green eyes. 

            "Yeah, yeah!" Minako nodded her head. "It's better than what you usually get!" 

            "At least you're improving. Maybe next time I can help you study real hard so you pass your test." Ami said encouragingly. 

            "And I'll take you out to eat when you do, my treat." Rei added in. 

            "I wouldn't do that if I were you Hino-san, Odango here would eat you out of house and home." A male voice caused them all to turn. Immediately all the girls but Usagi straightened up. Chiba Mamoru was beyond just merely being good-looking. His face could look boyishly innocent and not a day of over twelve but at the same time he could look his actual age, all serious and mature. His dark midnight hair was cut so his bangs just barely hung in his midnight blue eyes. Rei flipped her hair over her shoulder and smiled flirtatiously.

            "Mamoru-san, I told you a hundred times that you can call me Rei." Rei told him. Usagi moaned again.

            "Why are you here?" Usagi looked up at him. "Trying to torture me?" 

            "Let me guess, you failed _another_ test?" Mamoru sighed. "Can't you do anything right?" 

            "She's having a bad day." Minako fixed Mamoru with a look that was not exactly a glare but her blue eyes were flashing. It was telling him to back off. "A nice guy wouldn't tease her about it." 

            "Who said Mamoru-baka was a nice guy?" Usagi asked them. "I don't think he's _ever _said anything nice in his entire life." 

            "Well true, but it's never too late to change one's strays." Minako informed them all. All of their faces dropped.

            "That's 'change one's ways,' Minako-chan." Ami corrected her. 

            "Maybe she should start wearing her hair like Odango." Mamoru smirked slightly.  "You two even look alike." 

            "That's right, we both look fabulous." Minako tossed her head. "So you should feel lucky even being able to talk to us." 

            "Minako…" Usagi smiled gratefully at her friend.

            "Besides Mamoru-san, Minako's right, a nice guy wouldn't tease a girl when she's having a bad day." Rei repeated the blonde's earlier words of wisdom. Mamoru quickly made a mental note to not insult Usagi when all her friends were around. 

            "Yeah so get lost." Makoto cracked all her knuckles, looking rather natural and innocent while doing so. 

            "I guess I should say better luck next time Odango Atama, because you obviously need all the luck that you can get." Mamoru strode away from their table towards the counter to talk with Motoki who was at the time making milk shakes. 

            "I don't want your luck Mamoru no baka!" Usagi called out to him before digging back into her sundae. "I hate that guy!" 

            "He is a total jerk." Minako agreed. 

            "But he's cute." Rei defended as she watched him over at the counter. 

            "Rei-chan, you're…you're _fraternizing_ with the enemy!" Usagi slammed her hands down on the table so hard that a black haired young woman who had been drinking tea calmly with her friend at the next table jumped and splashed tea on herself. 

            "Wow, that was a big word, are you feeling alright?" Rei made a show of trying to feel the blonde's forehead. 

            "I'm glad Usagi is picking up some new vocabulary." Ami tried to help out. Usagi beamed at her making her feel much better. 

            "See? Ami-chan doesn't make me feel stupid." Usagi stuck her chin out at Rei. "You call yourself a friend?" 

            "In fact I'm your best friend Odango Atama." Rei gave her a small smile. "Want a soda?" It was Rei's way of apologizing. Though from how she would have to walk up to the counter where Mamoru was made it seem like she had an ulterior motive. 

            "Okay!" Usagi happily accepted the peace offering. She felt someone tapping on her shoulder. She turned around to see the black haired young woman who had spilt tea on herself. The girl had large pale purple eyes that were magnified by a set of large glasses like the kind that Ami had. 

            "Um, I…er, that is, do you think I could borrow some napkins?" The young woman asked, going a little red with embarrassment. 

            "Sure, here you go." Makoto handed her some of theirs from the dispenser. 

            "A-Arigotou." The black-haired woman stammered before turning back around to face her friend. Over at the counter though, Rei was trying to look as natural as possible as she leaned over the counter next to Mamoru.

            "Motoki-kun, I need Usagi's usual soda." Rei told him. 

            "Made her mad again, eh Rei? Kind of like Mamoru over here." Motoki began to pour the soda into a glass. 

            "Mamoru-san, why do you always make Usagi-chan mad?" Rei asked the dark-haired young man. 

            "No reason." Mamoru looked down at his coffee, his expression rather unreadable even to the young priestess. Which bothered her because she could _always_ read people. She wanted to be able to read him. 

            _He's usually mean around Usagi but not around everyone else…he's much more aloof around others…maybe he's only nice around me! _

            "So Mamoru-san…" Rei trailed off, blushing slightly. "There's this movie playing in the theater that I'd really like to go see. Maybe, you'd like to come with me?" She raised her eyebrows hopefully. 

            "I'm really busy right now Hino-san." Mamoru said apologetically. "Maybe some other time." 

            "Oh of course." Rei quickly tried to hide her disappointment. 

            "Here you go." Motoki handed her the soda. "Usagi's usual." Rei took it quickly and walked back towards the table, feeling a little defeated. "You know…Mamoru…"

            "Don't start." Mamoru warned him. "I'm not interested in anyone right now Motoki, I'm busy with school." 

            "Sure you are. Look Mamoru, look around at the other guys in this place!" Motoki gestured towards some teenage boys who were watching the girls at the table with a vast and apparent appreciation. "They wouldn't mind for a second if Rei were to ask them to the movies." 

            "So? Why doesn't she ask them?" Mamoru shrugged.

            "Because she's likes a challenge." Motoki put it dryly. "Sometimes I think you turn her down because you've got your eyes on someone else. A certain blonde maybe?" 

            "Motoki, Aino-san is good looking but I have no interest in her." Mamoru stated clearly. 

            "I'm not talking about Minako! I'm talking about Usagi!" Motoki explained exasperated at his friend's lack of comprehension. "You come here every day and every day you come up with some excuse to tease her." 

            "The girl's a complete airhead." Mamoru rolled his eyes. "How could I possibly be interested in a girl like that?" 

            "You're probably interested in how pure-hearted and innocent she is." Motoki explained. "Besides it's not as though Usagi is bad looking."

            "Why don't you date her?" Mamoru retorted. 

            "Because I think you'd be extremely upset if I did." Motoki winked. "Besides the fact that I'm taken." 

            "Like I said, I'm too busy with school right now to be interested in dating _anyone_." Mamoru emphasized the word. 

            "Sure, you can lie to yourself but I know the truth when I see it." Motoki shook his head. "Just go back to pretending like you're not staring at Usagi." 

            "I'm not!" Mamoru defended. As soon as Motoki looked away, Mamoru looked up at Usagi who was giggling with her friends. He shook his head, trying to go back to his coffee. Motoki had spoiled his whole afternoon now.

*                                              *                                              *

            "She reminds me of someone." A young man with dark hair spoke outloud to his friend as a group of girls that had been sitting near them at the arcade left. One in particular sticking out in his mind.

            "You know someone that stupid?" His friend raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

            "Never mind." The dark haired man sighed. 

*                                              *                                              *

            A youma had appeared in a nearby park, and they were all there to stop it. Usagi and the others had quickly transformed as soon as they heard the screams from people fleeing from the youma who was sucking energy from people. 

            "Stop right there!" Usagi struck a pose, the others right behind her. "You disturb a peaceful evening in the park and for that you shall not be forgiven! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!" 

            "Bring it on!" The youma screeched at them. "You sailor idiots are going to go down!" 

            "Crescent Beam!" Minako shot a beam of light at the enemy who jumped out of the way.

            "Fire Soul!" Rei came in right after her. The youma who had jumped aside was not expecting another attack so quickly and got the brunt of the fire attack.

            "Oh yeah?" The youma started to fire at them. They were all jumping out of the way until Usagi stumbled and saw that the youma was about to hit her with one of the blasts. It stopped though. "What the?" The youma screamed in surprise as a rose lodged itself into her hand. 

            "Parks are places of peacefulness and play, not to be used for evil or by its kind!" A strong male voice came from above where he was standing on the branch of a tree, perfectly balanced.

            "Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Usagi immediately became starry eyed at the presence of the mysterious masked man. 

            "Now it's your turn Sailor Moon." He told her importantly. 

            "Okay!" Usagi took off her tiara. "Moon Tiara Action!" The youma was immediately reduced to mere dust. She turned back in excitement to see if Tuxedo Kamen was still there. But unfortunately he had already disappeared. 

            "Come on Usagi, we have to get home now." The others were already de-transforming, Minako waving a hand in front of her face. 

            "Sorry." Usagi giggled. 

            "It must be hard to have a masked hero coming to save you." Minako spoke in an odd tone. Usagi looked at her expression carefully, the way her eyes were looking downwards and little away from everyone. Her mouth set in an almost smile. 

            "Mina-chan when you-" Usagi began asking but was cut off. 

            "I'd like to know what Tuxedo Kamen's real intentions are." Ami stated in a tone that hinted at suspicion. 

            "I think he's just a good guy who likes to save me. Don't ruin my dreams Ami-chan!" Usagi looked melodramatic for a few moments. 

            "But Ami's right, we don't know anything about him." Rei went on in a lecturing tone. "What if he's the enemy?"

            "I think it's romantic the way he always saves the day." Makoto stared off into space dreamily. "Isn't it Minako-chan?"

            "It is." Minako agreed but Usagi could tell that something was up with her. Usagi decided to ask about it later when the two of them were alone. 

            "I'm tired, I'm going back to the Hiwaka Jinja." Rei yawned for emphasis. "Ja ne!" 

            "Bye!" The others waved after her. Usagi was just glad that they had taken out that youma without any serious harm done.

            _Tuxedo Kamen-sama…I believe in you. _

_            I hope one day we can meet when we don't have to fight enemies anymore…_

*                                              *                                              *

            Well how do you like that? Ah yes well my wonderful monkey wrench has not been thrown in yet…I feel so devious!

Teresa: Ya' quack!

Jade: ~T~

Teresa: Are you trying to prove your sanity???

That's all folks!!!


	2. Plot Device!

And welcome back. Now I know the first chapter was rather typical first season scene, right? You can all wave good-bye to that now. Oh I feel so devious. And it'll only get worse with every chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Warnings: Not much really.

Jade: The Monkey Wrench is about to be thrown in!

Voice offstage: STOP CALLING ME THAT!

Jade: ^_^!

Close Your Eyes

Chapter One

            She was waking from a wonderful dream. It was so warm and happy that she didn't really pay attention to the alarm clock next to her. She hit what she hoped was the snooze button but she had missed and turned her alarm off. This was a rather bad thing to do as she had enough trouble getting up on her own. Her blue eyes finally opened lazily as she glanced out the window at the sunlight beginning to peak through her curtains.

            "OMIGOD! I'M LATE!" The blonde yelled as the thought dawned on her. The clock told her that she had five minutes to get to school on time. Things were definitely working against her that morning. Usagi prayed silently as she dressed as fast as possible that this would not be the start of a bad day. 

            "Here's your lunch-" Ikuko was cut off as her daughter went running by, not grabbing the lunch bag from her. "Er, I swear, one of these days I'm going to buy her an alarm clock that you _can't_ turn off."

            Usagi was off at top speeds to get to school. She didn't see Luna trying furiously to catch up with her, forgotten lunch being held in the feline's small mouth. She couldn't yell out to Usagi with her mouth full. She couldn't warn the blonde that she was about to run straight into someone. 

            And so of course, Usagi ran into the person so hard that both of them went falling backwards, sitting down rather hard. The sunglasses that the person had been wearing went clattering on the pavement, somewhere near Usagi's dropped briefcase. 

            "I-itai…" Usagi murmured as she stood up, hoping that she hadn't done any serious damage to the other person. She could fell the bruise welling up on her own bottom.

            "Ow." The person said at nearly the same time. Usagi looked down and at first she thought that she had run into Mamoru and opened her mouth, ready to start barraging him with various insults. Then she realized that the person's hair was a little bluer then Mamoru's dark locks. Their eyes more of a blue similar to her own. 

            "I'm really, really sorry!" Usagi apologized immediately. "See, I'm late for school and…" She trailed off quickly feeling embarrassed.

            "It's okay." The young man got up, smiling at her. "I understand."

            "Really? Are you sure you're not hurt?" Usagi examined him quickly. "I hit you pretty hard."

            "It must be my lucky day." The dark haired man commented thoughtfully. 

            "Huh?" Usagi was just thinking of how unlucky she was for running straight into some cute guy who probably thought she was a total klutz. 

            "I said it must be my lucky day, a beautiful girl running into me like this." His smile only widened as her face turned red.

            "O-oh…" Usagi felt herself swooning. There was a nudging around her ankles. She looked down at the black cat that spat out the lunch bag and gave her a glare. "Thanks Luna! I totally forgot!" Usagi reached down and grabbed the lunch bag. She stood up again and saw that the dark haired young man was getting his sunglasses off the ground before picking up Usagi's briefcase.

            She watched him dazedly as he took a few steps closer to her, pushing her briefcase into her hands and pausing before speaking again.

            "My name is Kou Seiya." The dark haired young man introduced himself, the words coming smoothly out of his mouth. "It'd be a shame to run into a pretty girl like you and not catch your name." Usagi suddenly found it very hard to breath. His dark blue eyes reminded her of something that she couldn't quite place. Something faraway and long ago.

            A nudging at her ankle nearly made her jump five feet in the air as it sent her rushing back into reality. Luna was giving her a look that she couldn't quite read but she realized that she had forgotten just what she had been doing that morning.

            "AH! I'm so late!" Usagi suddenly rushed around the startled Seiya, who was obviously not expecting this turn of events. Usagi realized that she was probably being rude by not saying her name. She paused before rounding the corner, turning to yell at him. "My name's Tsukino Usagi! Arigotou Kou-san." With that she left the slightly defeated looking young man standing on the sidewalk. 

            "Tsukino Usagi, it was very nice meeting you." Seiya whispered to himself with a grin. 

*                                  *                                  *

            "Really?" Makoto's green eyes sparkled as Usagi told her and Ami about what had happened to her on the way to school. They were finally getting out of school for the day and heading towards the Crown Arcade where they could all hang out and gossip. "Oh Usagi-chan you're so lucky!"

            "He seems very polite. After all, the speed at which you were running probably would have hurt him pretty bad upon impact." Ami added in. 

            "Plus, you said he's cute." Makoto got a far off dreamy look. "It could be true love…"

            "It's a little too early to-" Ami was cut off by Usagi squealing.

            "You think so Mako-chan?" Usagi asked her. 

            "Of course and…" Makoto paused for emphasis. "You can introduce me to one of his friends or something, right?"

            "Why one of his friends?" Ami looked confused, which was something they didn't often see in the ice senshi's expression. 

            "Cute guys always travel in packs." Makoto made it sound like it was a well known fact. Ami blushed. 

            "Wait 'till Minako hears about this!" Usagi ran ahead of them into the arcade, too excited and cheerful to walk at what she deemed the slow walk that Makoto and Ami were coming along at. Usagi waved at Minako and Rei, running over with a big silly grin almost from ear to ear.

            "Oh boy." Rei commented wryly. "Why are you so happy?"

            "You'll never guess." Usagi's grin only widened if that was at all possible.

            "I, Aino Minako, the Goddess of Love know exactly what is going on here!" Minako announced as Makoto and Ami walked up to the table. "Usagi-chan's in love!"

            "Minako-chan!" Usagi wailed. "Keep it down!" 

            "Spill." Minako immediately sat Usagi across from her so that she would have the best possible seat for the story. She immediately fixed Usagi with a very concentrated look, obviously prompting her to explain.

            "See I was late for school and I was running to get there in time, but I bumped right into someone. Instead of being like Mamoru no baka, he was very polite and told me it was his lucky day." Usagi blushed as she thought of the look in Seiya's eyes as he said that. "I've never seen him before though; I think he was in high school."

            "Was he cute? What did he look like?" Minako questioned eagerly. 

            "He was really cute! He had dark hair that seemed short but he had a long ponytail in the back and blue eyes." Usagi sighed, as she thought of Seiya.

            "He sounds like Mamoru…" Rei commented thoughtfully.

            "He's nothing like that baka! For one, he's good looking!" Usagi immediately defended. 

            "This coming from the Odango Atama." Mamoru seemed to arrive just in time to counter Usagi's insult. "I'm sure whoever this guy is, he was charmed by her clumsiness." Usagi's face scrunched up and she looked ready to start sticking her tongue out at him but someone got in there first.

            "A _real_ man never insults a girl." A smooth male voice told Mamoru. 

            "Kou-san!" Usagi exclaimed happily before going red in the face as he smiled at her. 

            "Oooh, Kou-san, huh?" Minako had a devious look on her face as she nudged Usagi with her elbow. 

            "A friend of yours Odango?" Mamoru was eyeing Seiya coolly. The look was mutual. 

            "Uh well…" Usagi began. Seiya sat down next to her, surprising her by taking her hand into his.

            "She's a _very _good friend of mine." Seiya told him with a superior expression. Usagi's eyes were wide and she was in too much of a daze to really say anything. Makoto and Minako were both swooning. Rei was stirring her drink meditatively as she watched the whole scene unfold and Ami opened up a book, not wanting to see a confrontation between the two boys.

            "Oh, and I'm sure between the two of you there's a lot of intelligent conversation." Mamoru shot back. 

            "Chiba-san! Lay off!" Makoto glared at him in defense of her blonde friend who was _still _dazed. "Why do you always have to make fun of her?" Minako was now fixing him with quite a look too. 

            "Yeah, what kind of guy are you?" Minako joined in. Usually this sort of moment was followed by a response from Mamoru, usually insulting, Mamoru's eyes just narrowed slightly before he walked off. Everyone seemed a bit confused by this turn of events. 

            "Oh Mako-chan! You were so cool!" Usagi sighed in admiration. Then she looked at Seiya. "Kou-san…" He let go of her hand and stood up.

            "Forgive me Tsukino-san but I was trying to get that guy to stop bothering you." Seiya bowed his head slightly. 

            "It's okay." Usagi told him breathlessly. "Thank you Kou-san." 

            "Please, call me Seiya." Seiya once more gave her a smile. 

            "Okay Seiya-kun!" Usagi nodded her head. "You can call me Usagi. Do you want to join us?"

            "Actually…" Seiya's smile faded a little.

            "Hey! Seiya!" A silver-haired young man yelled from the entrance. Next to him was a tall brown-haired young man with glasses. "Are you going to take all day in here?"

            "Coming." Seiya called back. "I'll see you again, Usagi-chan." 

            "Ja ne!" Usagi waved enthusiastically. As soon as Seiya left, conversation broke out all at once from different sides of the table so it was a little hard to understand.

            "He's so cute! How come you have all the luck, Usagi-chan?"

            "Did you see his friends?"

            "I told Ami they traveled in packs!" 

            "Then what about Mamoru-san?" Rei asked Makoto. "Is he a lone wolf?"

            "Who cares? He's a jerk." Makoto sniffed. 

            "Seiya-kun is so nice! Oh, Mamoru's face when Seiya was holding Usagi's hand was priceless!" Minako giggled. "I think Mamoru-san is jealous." 

            "Jealous?" Usagi said the word in disbelief. "Mamoru-baka?"

            "Now that she mentions it…Chiba-san did _not_ look happy." Makoto chewed pensively on her lip. She noticed the dark look on Rei's face. "Oh Rei-chan! I'm sorry, what was I thinking?" 

            "I think you were right Makoto." Rei tried to keep emotion out of her voice.

            _I've always wanted to be able to read him and I finally did…I know what I saw._

"Mamoru-baka should be jealous that Seiya's way greater then him." Usagi crossed her arms. 

            "Usagi-chan, they're saying that Mamoru-san is jealous because Seiya was so close to you." Ami explained quietly. 

            "What are you guys saying? I'm just Odango Atama, the big idiot to him." Usagi stated in an odd tone. She stood up. "I'm going home now."

            "Usagi-" Minako interjected. 

            "I promised my mom that I'd be home early today." Usagi faked a smile. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." She walked out of the arcade before they could protest. 

            "Do you think we should go after her?" Makoto asked as she watched the blonde haired girl go worriedly. 

            "I think," Rei's violet eyes swung as she watched someone leave right after Usagi. "Someone already has." 

*                                              *                                              *

            _They must be crazy…Mamoru-baka doesn't think of me like that at all…_

Usagi walked along the sidewalk with her hands behind her head. She looked up at the sky and sighed for the millionth time that day. She stopped walking immediately, trying to get a hold of herself.

            "Oh this is stupid!" She stomped her foot, her arms dropping to her sides. "I don't care what that baka thinks!" 

            "They say talking to yourself is the first sign of schizophrenia." Mamoru's voice commented. Usagi turned to face him with her hands on her hips. 

            "Didn't get in enough torture for the day?" Usagi asked, obviously on her last nerve.

            "Don't blow a fuse Odango." Mamoru stopped a couple feet from her. "And here I was thinking of apologizing."

            "You? _Apologizing_?" Usagi made the word sound foreign and strange. 

            "You really hate me right?" He wasn't saying it in a sad tone just stating it as if it was written somewhere. 

            "I don't hate _you_. I just hate the way you're always mean to me." Usagi told him slowly, wondering when the insults would start flying. 

            "Come on, you have to hate me. I'm always making fun of you." Mamoru sounded like she was trying to tease him.

            "I've never hated a person before. I can hate things about them but never the person because they one day may change their ways." Usagi explained. She studied his face. "You think that's dumb don't you?" 

            "No." Mamoru looked at her strangely, as if she might not be real. "So you're saying I could be the most horrible person ever but if I mend my ways, you'd like me?" 

            "Yes." Usagi nodded. 

            "Suppose I kill a bunch of people." Mamoru raised his eyebrows challengingly. 

            "Then I would punish you!" Usagi struck a pose. Mamoru looked a little startled for a few moments. "What?"

            "Ah, nothing…" Mamoru shook his head. 

            "So what are you doing? Why are you being nice?" Usagi looked at him suspiciously. 

            "What about you? I don't think I've heard one 'Mamoru-baka' in this conversation." Mamoru smiled a little, as if it were an accomplishment. 

            "But you still called me 'Odango'! So just in repayment," Usagi paused for emphasis. "Mamoru-baka!"

            "I guess I deserve that." Mamoru shrugged. Then he began to walk away. "I'll see you around Usagi-san." He quickly walked off. 

            Usagi waved a little and then scratched her head. What a weird day it was becoming. She kept walking, for some reason there was an extra spring in her step. The blonde decided it was from Seiya and went with it. Suddenly she stopped in mid stride as realization came instantaneously. 

            "He called me Usagi!" She exclaimed loudly. 

*                                              *                                              *

            Mamoru opened his door, closing it behind him and throwing the keys on the glass coffee table. He stood there and leaned against the door for a few moments. After the loud jangle of the keys there was not a sound in the apartment. Except for the quiet hum of the appliances and his own breathing. His ears strained for a sound. It was a weird habit of his. Every day he'd stand there, waiting for some sound that never came. He wasn't even sure what he was listening for. 

            He took off his coat and sat down on the couch, trying to tell himself it was nice to live alone. What a lie that was. If he liked it so much, why did he have to list off the reasons? But he did anyway. There was no one distracting you when you wanted to study, no one eating all your food. 

            Of course he had no one else to live with anyways. His parents died when he was young leaving him with only one realization: You couldn't rely on people; they were just going to leave. It wasn't a good realization and yet, he had come to terms with it, despite his young age. No matter how hard he tried, he could never remember anything from that night. A piece of him was missing and lying by itself somewhere.

            Sometimes he remembered a flash of color if he strained his memory. He could never say what the color was from. Was it a table cloth or a dress? Maybe a curtain or some article of clothing he had just happened to see one day in passing. The problem was that there were so many maybes. And he wanted to keep those to a minimum in his life. 

            Yet his walls were slowly being torn down, someone was chipping away at them without even realizing what they were doing. Although he always told himself that people were all the same, he couldn't help it. His parents had left him in the world to live, the cruelest of punishments. How could he possibly think this one person would somehow change his outlook?

            Even through all this, he still found himself being drawn more and more to the arcade with this hopeful feeling. Oh, he didn't understand it at first but when he did, he tried to mend it. He tried being mean and driving them away on his own but somehow, he was being sucked into her kindness. 

            Usagi was so…he wasn't sure there was a good enough word for it. He'd do anything she'd ask in a heartbeat and it would make him happy even if it was some terrible deed. Why? What was so special about her? Even that couldn't be put into words. She knew some great secret to happiness that no one else in a million years would begin to decipher. If only she would tell him! 

            That wasn't the way things worked. Mamoru knew that it wasn't some fairy tale romance and he couldn't just be happy and live with her in some castle forever and ever. There were just some things that could not happen. Why should she have to be with someone as pathetic as him? No, it was so much better if she would just hate him but she didn't.

            _"I don't hate you."_

It was almost torturous. Was he being punished for something? Had he done something wrong in a past life? He'd almost understand it if he had. 

            Especially now that this "Kou-san" had come into the picture. Just who was that guy? And why was he sitting so close to Usagi and holding her hand? Mamoru leaned back on the couch. Now was not the time for that. At least as far as he thought.

*                                              *                                              *

            What do you think? Oh, I've read those first season with Seiya in them fics and I think mine will be a unique interpretation of that. Please read and review.


	3. Yah for Yaten!

Hello, hello. Now that I have the computer to myself I will write a new chapter. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I AM evil. So I can commence with my plans to become just like Akito and throw people on the ground by their hair. ^_^ Have fun.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon

Warnings: Mild cussing; more monkey wrenches.

Seiya: I thought I was your monkey wrench!

Jade: Well, you were. You're still THE monkey wrench.

Seiya: **Singing** Don't wanna be your monkey wrench, one more indecent accident.

Close Your Eyes

Chapter Three

            _"Tuxedo Kamen-sama…" Usagi breathed as he put his arms around her. _

_            "Usagi-chan…" Tuxedo Kamen trailed off, his hand going to the side of her face. _

_            "Who are you really?" Usagi asked earnestly. _

_            "I think you already know that." Tuxedo Kamen reached up and took the mask away. She was suddenly staring up into Seiya's eyes. "I'm so glad we met."_

_            "Seiya-kun?!" Usagi's eyes looked ready to pop out of her head. "But…" _

_            "What?" Seiya leaned down to kiss her. Suddenly he disappeared and she saw someone walking away from her. _

_            "Where are you going?" Usagi called out. But it wasn't Seiya, the eyes were different, the hair, everything was different._

_            "Usagi-san." _

"EARTH TO USAGI!" Minako yelled and Usagi sat straight up. All the other senshi were looking at her with varying expressions. Minako was peering at her curiously, Rei looked miffed, Ami looked like a teacher disciplining a student, and Makoto was blinking at her with wide eyes.

            "Gomen! Gomen!" Usagi hit herself on the head. 

            "This is a senshi meeting, in case you forgot! And you're supposed to be our leader!" Rei told her off. "You know-"

            "Can't you be serious?" Luna asked Usagi sharply, cutting into Rei's lecture.

            "I said I was sorry; please don't yell at me." Usagi tried not to sniffle. Why did they always have to go on and on about how irresponsible she was? She was trying after all. "Besides there's nothing new to talk about." 

            "We still have to discuss strategy." Ami folded her hands in her lap. "And a good deal many other things. Such as where the enemy's base is and who Tuxedo Kamen is."

            "Usagi's right though, we don't really have anything new to say about any of that." Minako agreed with the other blonde in the group.

            "She still shouldn't fall asleep!" Rei protested.

            "Of course not and she apologized." Minako made the subject sound closed. "How about we end it for today?" 

            "That sounds like a good idea." Makoto added on. Rei threw her hands up in the air.

            "Sure! Fine! Why not?" Rei stomped off. 

            "Rei sure looks like she's in a bad mood today." Usagi commented. "I wonder why that is?"

            "I call it Post Heartbreak Syndrome." Minako told them all. "Obviously getting over the whole Mamoru thing is a little hard for her."

            "Getting over Mamoru? Why?" Usagi looked around quizzically at their faces. 

            "Never mind Usagi." Minako put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go to the mall!"

            "Okay! That sounds like fun!" Usagi cheered. "Do you guys wanna come?"

            "I've got to study." Ami gave them a smile for trying to include her even though she almost never went shopping with them. 

            "I'd love to go, but I think I'm going to help Rei through…er…P.H.S." Makoto nodded her head before leaving the room. 

            "It's just you and me partner!" Minako declared happily and Usagi cheered with her. The two girls headed to the mall to take their minds off of current events. They had been looking around the mall for about an hour when they spotted a certain young man.

            "Seiya-kun!" Usagi waved wildly as soon as she saw him. Minako ran with her up to the tall dark-haired young man, who was with his two friends. 

            "Usagi-chan, how are you?" Seiya smiled warmly at her. Then he saw Minako. "I don't remember if you introduced your friend to me yet." 

            "I'm Aino Minako!" Minako shook his hand exuberantly. "Who are your friends?" Usagi could tell from Minako's pinked face that Minako wouldn't mind getting to know either one of the two friends. 

            "Oh, this is Kou Taiki." Seiya introduced a brunette who was taller then himself next to him. "And this is Kou Yaten." He gestured towards a silver-haired young man who was shorter then the other two and was giving the two blondes a contemptuous look. 

            "Hello." Taiki looked the friendlier of the other two. Yaten didn't bother saying anything to the two but instead addressed the other two. 

            "I've got to get some more art supplies." Yaten told the two. "I'd rather not join this party." 

            "We'll miss you Yaten." Seiya quirked his eyebrow at the silver-haired man as if he was biting back a few choice statements. Yaten walked off quickly. 

            "He's an artist?" Minako was practically squealing. 

            "Oh yeah, he's got a big show coming up in a few months I think." Taiki informed them. "He's a little moody so you'll have to excuse him." 

            "Right…" Minako was watching the retreating back of Yaten that was disappearing into a shop. 

            _An artist? I bet he needs models…maybe I can convince him to let me model for him! He's so cute, that beautiful hair and those green eyes…I'm melting!_

"Minako…this is central control, are you in?" Usagi waved a hand in her face. 

            "Oh, whoops, sorry, what?" Minako blinked her large blue eyes. 

            "We were going to stop in a bookstore; Taiki wants to buy some more books." Seiya explained. 

            "Um, okay." Usagi shrugged. "I hear that the newest volume of Hana Yori Dango is in!" 

            "Don't get Taiki started on manga; he doesn't think its quality reading." Seiya mock whispered to Usagi and Minako. 

            "Now, I didn't say that. I value all forms of reading, I just prefer books with a little more…substance." Taiki defended his views on the matter. 

            "Our friend Ami is like that." Minako supplied. "Hey, you two would probably get along great." Usagi could see the gears going in Minako's head. She was probably planning to try to fix the two up already. They walked into the bookstore together, Minako, Seiya, and Usagi going straight to the manga section while Taiki wandered off to a different section. 

            "Oh…the new volume is more then I thought it would be…" Usagi looked at her almost empty wallet with pure dismay.

            "I'll buy it." Seiya offered immediately. 

            "Wow, Seiya-kun, you're such a gentleman." Minako told him unabashed while Usagi blushed a deep crimson. 

            "How about you pick out one too, Minako-chan?" Seiya offered her. When all their stuff was bought and paid for and Taiki finally came out with two bags full of new books, the group went and got ice-cream. 

            "Do you think Yaten will come and join us?" Minako asked eagerly. 

            "I don't know, he probably went home knowing him." Seiya said absently. 

            "Does Yaten use models?" Minako inquired. Taiki and Seiya both choked on their ice-cream and then shot each other a look. 

            "Well…um…no." Taiki finally answered for the both of them. "I've only ever seen him have one person model for him and that was kind of a birthday present for her." 

            "Who modeled for him?" Minako didn't realize that the talk had become rather hesitant. 

            "A…a friend of ours." Seiya said weakly. It occurred to Usagi that it looked like he was almost lying, though she had no idea why he would feel the need to. 

            "I bet she's really cool." Minako sighed. She looked at her watch. "Ahhh! I promised my mom I'd be home by now!" She jumped up and gathered up her stuff. "Bye you guys! See you later; call me Usagi-chan!" And with that she raced off. 

            "I wonder where she gets all that energy." Seiya mused. Yaten wandered up to their table, putting some bags on their table. 

            "Are you guys ready to go home yet?" Yaten asked in an annoyed voice. 

            "Yes, I'm going to take Usagi-chan home. See you guys." Seiya waved to the other two as he stood up. Usagi stood up, looking a little surprised. 

            _Why does Seiya-kun want to take me home?_

"Nice meeting you." Usagi bowed her head before walking away. Yaten turned to Taiki. 

            "That's really smart, trying to replace her with…_that_." Yaten said to Taiki. Taiki sighed loudly. 

            "I don't really think he's trying to replace her. I think he's trying to distract himself. I hope he sees the difference." Taiki looked curiously at Yaten's bags. "How was shopping?"

            "It didn't help. I still don't feel like doing any new pieces." Yaten grumbled. 

            "Why don't we get something to eat?" Taiki stood up and deposited his remaining ice-cream in the trash. "Or we could go grocery shopping; I noticed there's no caviar left." 

            "Seiya's been eating it all!" Yaten defended himself right away. "If we buy more, I'm hiding it from him." 

            "Fine." Taiki didn't care one way or another. 

*                                              *                                              *

            Rei straightened her jacket once more. It had taken forever to convince Makoto that she really was over it and she didn't need any comfort, not that she said no to Makoto's promise of a huge platter of chocolate goodies. There were some things that even Rei couldn't resist.

            _Don't be nervous Rei, it's for the best._

Rei cleared her throat and knocked on the door. It took a few moments before the door opened. Mamoru looked as though he had been sleeping, his hair was tousled and he had to blink several times to focus on her. 

            "Hello, Mamoru-san." Rei greeted him in the most natural way she could. 

            "Konnichiwa Hino-san." Mamoru seemed to be awake now. "Is there something you need?" 

            "Can I come in?" Rei asked him. 

            "Sure." Mamoru opened the door for her to come in and she slid in. She was surprised to see a rather neat apartment; she knew he lived by himself. Mamoru came into the apartment, shutting the door. "What is this about?"

            "Well, it's like this…" Rei pursed her lips for a moment so she could gather her thoughts. "It's about Usagi." 

            "Usagi?" Mamoru's brow furrowed. "What about her?"

            "I know you like her." Rei told him outright. 

            "You sound just like Motoki." Mamoru laughed. "I'm not interested in her."

            "Oh really?" Rei arched her dark eyebrows. "Do think about who you're trying to fool here, Mamoru-san. I'm the resident 'freaky psychic girl' of the Hiwaka Jinja. I know you like her." 

            "Even if I did…" Mamoru hesitated. "Why are you here?"

            "I want to help you." Rei proposed simply. "Because I know that it'll work out for the best." 

            "Help me?" Mamoru questioned.

            "Help you get Usagi." Rei clarified. "First of all, try being a little nicer to her-"

            "I'll admit that I…but she'd never want to be with me." Mamoru affirmed. "Why do you want to help me? I mean…well, I thought you er…"

            "Had a thing for you?" Rei supplied. "Well, I _did _but I've gotten over it." Rei glanced away from him for a moment before going back. "As for _why_, you have to swear to me that you aren't working for the Dark Kingdom." 

            "Dark Kingdom?" Mamoru's eyes grew huge but then they went normal again and with a fake laugh. "What are you talking about Hino-san?" 

            "Well, _Chiba-san_, I'm talking about Tuxedo Kamen. I want you to swear that you aren't working for the Dark Kingdom or it's no deal." Rei had just about enough of Mamoru playing stupid. Maybe he wasn't playing…

            "How did you…?" Mamoru shook his head a little. "Psychic, huh? There's not really a point trying to hide anything from you, is there?" 

            "No there isn't." Rei held out a hand towards him. "Now swear and we can be friends." 

            "Okay…I swear I'm not working for the Dark Kingdom." Mamoru shook her hand. He held onto it, frowning at it. "You must be one of them…one of the Sailor Senshi."

            "Now I never promised to disclose that." Rei wagged a finger at him. "If you can figure out which one, I'll give it to you." With that, she straightened her jacket and headed towards the door. She had just opened it when Mamoru stopped her. 

            "Sailor Mars." Mamoru guessed with a sense of surety. 

            "Congratulations, you win the prize." Rei bowed and walked out the door. 

            _That went well._

*                                              *                                              *

            "Seiya-kun, why did you want to walk me home?" Usagi asked as they turned onto her walk. Seiya was quiet for a few moments. When they got to the door, he spoke again. 

            "Because…" Seiya leaned in closer to her. "I thought that was obvious…" He looked into her deep blue eyes but for a moment, didn't actually see her.

            _"Why are you being like this?"_

_            "Why does it make you so angry?"_

            "It is?" Usagi looked even more puzzled but her heart was thumping. Seiya took her chin in his hand. He had to shake away those thoughts. He had to. 

            _It doesn't matter now. _

_            "Sayonara, Seiya."_

_            Sayonara…_

_            I've got to forget you. _

            "I really like you Usagi-chan…" Seiya leaned down and kissed her softly for a few moments. 

            _Wow…Seiya-kun…likes me?_

_            My first kiss!_

_            Oh, wait, no it wasn't._

_            Tuxedo Kamen-sama…he was my first…_

She said good-bye to Seiya, something troubling her mind very deeply. Usagi had thought that maybe, just maybe, Tuxedo Kamen was Seiya. But now she knew that wasn't true. 

            _It felt different…_

_            Tuxedo Kamen's kiss was different._

Usagi went into the house, not noticing the tall woman watching her from across the street. 

            The woman's garnet eyes were narrowed and she looked worried from the way her mouth was twisted into a frown. She didn't like what she saw, that was for sure.

            "The timeline…" She murmured to herself.

*                                                          *                                                          *

Yahhhhh! I had to re-type the ending of this chapter because my computer is the DEVIL! No, I didn't mean it Hermes P-ball! I meant Ishamael! Ishamael was the devil! (Yes, I'm the sort of dork that names my computer.) I also have to re-type the next two chapters. Wish me luck!


	4. Ho, Ho, Hotaru Koi!

Okay and we're back! I'm in a super bouncy mood. Waaaaay too much Cardcaptor Sakura for me. But I love it so much! Catch you catch you, catch me catch me!!! I totally swear I'm done. (Nice to meet you, good to see you…) 

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. I keep trying for it.

Warnings: Angst. And my favorite senshi!

            Will Usagi return Seiya's feelings, much to all the Seiya+Usagi fans' delight? Will Mamoru win fair maiden's heart? Will Rei's interference be just what the doctor ordered? What was with the mysterious lady? Will all the fans guess who she is partly because there's just not that many mysterious women that go around talking about the timeline? Will these questions have a point? Just reach out and…

Close Your Eyes

Chapter Three

            "The timeline?!" A young girl of fourteen leaned forward so fast that she spilt some of her tea. She sheepishly began to wipe it up with a napkin, before adjusting a large pair of glasses.

            "If this continues, fate may not work itself out…" The woman hesitated. "It did not foresee this Kou Seiya."

            "Well, maybe it hasn't right this second but if you give it some time, it'll work itself in." The dark-haired girl tried to remain upbeat about it. 

            "No…it's one of those times…" The woman looked a little troubled. "That I must interfere…"

            "Well, you know that I will help you in any way I can." The dark-haired girl reminded her of the promise that she had made before they had left on this trip. 

            "Yes, I do." The woman smiled fondly at the girl across the table from her. "If only Seiya wasn't in love with Usagi…if only he was distracted somehow…" A gleam appeared in her eyes that the other one apparently did not like at all.

            "Um…it sounds like it's over my head." The girl got up from the table. "I think I'll go to the library for a little while."

            "Hotaru." She said in such a way that the dark-haired girl knew what she was thinking. She whirled around quickly.

            "No, I already know what you're going to say, Setsuna." Tomoe Hotaru tried to remain firm. 

            "Then I don't have to explain and you understand completely." Meioh Setsuna raised her eyebrows. 

            "I can't…no…no…" Hotaru shook her head, hoping with all her might that Setsuna was just going to change her mind. Tell her to go have fun; Setsuna would take care of everything. Setsuna was the Keeper of Time, it was really _her _job. 

            But then, Setsuna had done so much for her. In the previous life, before she had died, Hotaru asked Setsuna to look for her reincarnation very carefully and that when she was reborn, she wanted to go live with Setsuna at the Gates of Time. Setsuna was like a mother and a sister all rolled into one for Hotaru during this lifetime. 

            "You said you would help on this trip any way that you could." Setsuna reminded her of what she had said not more then five seconds ago. 

            "Couldn't you do it?" Hotaru pleaded. 

            "I'm much too old to attract Seiya's attention." Setsuna was very old, considering she hadn't died back in the time of the Moon Kingdom. She had the appearance of someone who was twenty-five. "But you're just right." 

            "Just right?" Hotaru glanced at herself in one of the mirrors in the living room. She had almost to her shoulders black hair and huge lavender eyes which were magnified by her large glasses that she really only needed to wear for reading. She didn't think of herself as an attractive young lady. "But…Setsuna…" She searched for some last argument. "I…" And then she whispered the next part so quietly that Setsuna couldn't hear it.

            "What?" Setsuna leaned in a little more. Hotaru's face pinked considerably. 

            "I don't know how to talk to boys." Hotaru repeated herself more audibly this time.

            "There's no time like the present to start trying." Setsuna smiled again. "Besides, it really isn't that hard."

            "Can I go to the library now?" Hotaru sighed, utterly defeated.

            "So you agree then?" Setsuna didn't look smug or anything. She just wanted to confirm.

            "I'll do it." Hotaru felt like sinking into a puddle, somehow, she had a feeling that this was going to be a whole lot harder then Setsuna made it sound. 

--------------------

            "Okay…I feel weird." Mamoru told Rei as they hid around the corner in an alley. Rei kept peeking around the corner, obviously waiting for something. "What exactly are we doing?"

            "Just wait for it." Rei rolled her eyes and walked around Mamoru so that she was on his other side. "Now, listen, if you just trust me, you'll have a chance to spend time with Usagi today."

            "How so?" Mamoru cocked his head to one side. Rei grinned and then shoved him with all his might so he fell backwards out into the open. Right in the path of a certain blonde-haired girl. 

            "Oh, gomen." Usagi looked up at him and then blinked in surprise. "Mamoru-san!" 

            "Um, hey." Mamoru glared at the alley but saw that Rei was no longer there. 

            _Gee, Rei thanks._

"Konnichiwa." Usagi smiled. "What are you doing?" 

            "Not really anything." Mamoru was still cursing Rei. "And you?"

            "I was thinking about going to the arcade but I don't know." Usagi told him. Then they stood there for a few moments in silence as they had run out of things to say for the moment. Mamoru tried to think fast. Rei would probably be pissed if he didn't take advantage of the opportunity even she had set the whole thing up. 

            "Would you like to go get a milkshake?" Mamoru asked her. "My treat." 

            "Really?" Usagi's eyes shone brightly and Mamoru knew he had done at least this right. "Okay!" 

            And with that, the two walked towards the arcade. 

----------------------------

            "I was thinking we'd go to a few more museums, for Yaten." Taiki told the other two as the bus stopped. It wasn't their stop but Seiya suddenly saw something out the window and took off. 

            "What the hell was that about?" Yaten asked Taiki.

            "No idea, but he left his coat." Taiki pointed out.

            "He's not worth this." Yaten grabbed the coat and also left the bus. Taiki sighed. 

            "So much for museums." Taiki watched out the window as Yaten tried to get through the crowd and follow Seiya. "Good luck."

---------------------------

            _Well, it can't be helped Hotaru. You just have to do this one thing. Maybe it's not really that hard, you've just never tried it before._

Hotaru sighed as she kept on walking through the crowd trying to get to the library. It was Saturday and the streets seemed pretty crowded. Her agoraphobia was not helping at all. She supposed it was because she had lived at the Gates of Time all her life with Setsuna, they just didn't have much in the way of crowds there.

            "Omph!" She let out as someone ran straight into her. The person stopped immediately.

            "Are you okay?" A male voice asked and Hotaru looked up to see that it was Kou Seiya. 

            _Of all the people…_

"I-I'm fine." Hotaru looked down at her feet and turned a shade of red. 

            "I'm really sorry about that." Seiya apologized. "What's your name?" 

            Hotaru looked up briefly and found she couldn't say anything. She kept choking on her words. She couldn't one single word and she knew she was supposed to. She knew Setsuna would be mad if she knew.

            _But it's hard._

"Well…" Seiya looked uncomfortable. "I really must run." And then he dashed off into the crowd. Hotaru stood there; starting to shake when yet another person collided with her. 

            "Seiya!" Another male voice called out. "Dammit Seiya!" Hotaru saw that it was yet another one of the Kou brothers or cousins or whatever it was that they were. Setsuna had not really explained that to her. His bright green eyes focused on her. "Sorry."

            "I-I…" Hotaru tried to say something. Anything. Why did she have to be so stupid? Why couldn't she do this one thing for Setsuna after all the nice things Setsuna had done for her.

            "What's your name?" There was a tone of demanding in the silver-haired young man's voice. 

            "T-T…" Hotaru tried hard. She couldn't help it. Why couldn't she do anything? She was just so useless! And there were people all around and Setsuna wasn't there. She started crying. The green-eyed boy looked perplexed by this reaction.

            "I didn't hit you that hard did I?" He asked looking around in a near panic. 

            "N-no." Hotaru tried to wipe away her tears. She was being a baby.

            "Then what are you crying for?" He questioned. "Girls look ugly when they cry." 

            "Sorry." Hotaru shook her head. "I'm…Tomoe Hotaru."

            "Kou Yaten." The man offered a hand and shyly she shook it. "Tomoe Hotaru? I'll remember you. It's hard to forget someone who just starts crying like that." 

            "Gomen." Hotaru adjusted her glasses. 

            "Did you see an idiot?" Yaten asked her. "Dark-haired, moronic expression on his face?" Hotaru giggled.

            "Yes, he went that way." Hotaru pointed and the silver-haired man ran off in that direction. She shook her head. 

            _I'll remember you…_

            _He was kind of strange. But in a good way._

----------------------------------

            "Hey Motoki-kun!" Usagi greeted the blonde-haired boy who looked up and his jaw nearly dropped to the floor upon seeing Usagi and Mamoru together. 

            "Wait, wait, before you say anything else, I gotta go call hell and check on the temperature." Motoki started to go towards the phone. 

            "Oh haha." Mamoru gave him an annoyed look. 

            "You guys are on a date? I was wondering when Mamoru was going to finally ask you out, he's liked you for ages." Motoki shook his head. 

            "We aren't on a date!" Mamoru and Usagi protested together, both going red in the face.

            "Uh huh." Motoki gave them a disbelieving look. "Just decided to go on a friendly visit to your friend Motoki this afternoon, huh?" 

            "Mamoru wanted to know if I wanted to get milkshakes." Usagi supplied. 

            "Oh, Mamoru wanted to know if you wanted to get milkshakes, huh?" Motoki wiggled his eyebrows. "Well then, that's completely different."

            "I'm going to come over that counter and smack you if you don't get making with the milkshakes." Mamoru glared. 

            "Okay, calm down tiger." Motoki laughed. "Usagi, you want chocolate-strawberry right?"

            "Yep!" Usagi nodded happily. 

            "And Mamoru…what'll you have?" Motoki asked. "I don't think you've ever gotten a milkshake here."

            "I guess I'll just get what Usagi-san is getting." Mamoru murmured moodily. Stupid Motoki and his shooting his mouth off.

            "Usagi-chan!" Usagi turned around to see Seiya. She blushed a little as she remembered the previous day and the kiss that had taken place. 

            "Hi Seiya-kun." Usagi didn't notice Mamoru gritting his teeth. "You look a little warm." She gestured to her own face to show that Seiya's own face looked flushed.

            "Yeah, I'm a little warm." Seiya tried to shrug it off. "So…what are you doing here?"

            "Getting milkshakes with Mamoru-san." Usagi answered. 

            "Oh." Seiya glared at Mamoru quickly. Mamoru wasn't exactly smiling in return. Motoki swore that if one fistfight broke out, they would both be kicked out for life. His dad would _kill _him if any damage was done to the place.

            "Here's the milkshakes." Motoki put straws in both cups. "Pay up Mamoru." 

            "You make it sound like I never do." Mamoru rolled his eyes and handed him the money. 

            Seiya went to make some snide comment but was cut off when his jacket hit him in the face.

            "Here!" Yaten's angry voice told him. Seiya picked the coat off his own head. "Next time you're gonna run off like some loony, at least take your coat with you." 

            "Why Yaten, it almost sounds like you care." Seiya shot back acidly.

            "I don't." Yaten folded his arms. "Taiki made me."

            "I forgot about you and Taiki's secret relationship." Seiya snickered.

            "We _do not_ have a secret relationship." Yaten glared. "You're just mad 'cause Kakyuu—"

            "Shut up!" Seiya told him fiercely before Yaten could go on. "Just shut up about her."

            "Whatever." Yaten shrugged as though it wasn't his problem. Seiya turned back towards Usagi but she seemed very into the conversation she was having with Motoki and Mamoru.

            _For today…I'll accept defeat._

_            But just wait…Usagi is going to fall in love with me…_

--------------------------

            Okay, you know what sucks? I've got like eleven chapters of this story but see this chapter and the next one got deleted in a freak accident. As I suck at re-typing things, it's been awhile. I swear right after this I'm gonna start the next chapter. I hope you guys like this one. I love Hotaru and Setsuna, so DUH they're in the story. Geez. I love you guys with your reviewing ways. And Teresa, if Yaten HAD been there when Seiya met Usagi, it would have been a whole different scene and so he was barred from being there. But just for kicks:

**Seiya meeting Usagi with Yaten there**

Seiya: It must be my lucky day.

Yaten: You got hooked on phonics?

Seiya: **Trying to ignore Yaten** I said it must be my lucky day, running into a beautiful girl like this.

Yaten: Congratulations, you're a klutz. 

Seiya: **taking Usagi's hands** It would be a shame to run into a pretty girl and not get her name.

Yaten: So you can stalk her?

Seiya: SHUT UP!!! **tackles Yaten and a mad SD brawl begins**

Taiki: **To Usagi** I'm really sorry about this, Yaten has the emotional range of a teaspoon.

The end!


	5. Transition Chapter!

Okay, fourth chapter time! I've got my music; we're all angsty so we're all set. (I wrote twenty-two pages for Fade Away and I decided to take a break.) Things are about to start escalating! Part of me is wondering if that's necessarily a good thing…

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Warnings: Angst. Crimony. Unwanted people from certain manga that may be predecessors to certain manga. 

Will Hotaru be any good at her job? Will Setsuna con her into anymore jobs? Was that last chapter the best demonstration of Hotaru's seductress prowess? Or will she actually pull through with this? Will Yaten continue to be sort of an ass to everyone? Will Rei continue to be cool? Why is Rei so damn cool in this story anyway? Why is Rei so damn cool, period? What the hell is with these questions? Why do I even bother asking them? I don't really know but I'll go find if you can just…

Close Your Eyes

Chapter Four

            "Yes!" Usagi cheered as the youma died. It was always a relief when the youma did finally kick the bucket. At least she wouldn't have to worry about anyone getting hurt. 

            "Good job Usagi-chan!" Minako de-transformed with the rest of them. 

            "Good job everyone." Ami seemed to be correcting but had a cheerful smile as she closed her computer and put it in her pocket. "I suppose we should head home now, our parents are probably very worried."

            "I'm sure my grandpa is out cold by now but yeah." Rei checked her watch. "Geez, I hope I don't accidentally sleep in. The nuns will throw a fit."

            "Rei…" Minako began. "Why do you go to a Catholic school when you're a Shinto?"

            "My dad pays for the school." Rei rolled her eyes. "I guess he thought it would make up for not being a real parent."

            "It sounds like a really nice school." Ami tried to put the best face on it. 

            "Hey, what's this?" Makoto bent down and picked something off the ground. They all looked up with interest. "It's a playing card…it's an—"

            "An ace of hearts." Minako finished, looking as if she was in a daze as she reached out for the card. "But…how?"

            "What is it Minako-chan?" Usagi asked as Makoto handed the card to Minako who looked at it for a moment before holding it against her chest. 

            "Nothing." Minako shook her head. "It's stupid, let's go home." 

            "Are you—" Usagi was cut off as Minako waved and ran off. "Sure?" 

            "What was that about?" Makoto asked the other three. 

            "No idea." Usagi shrugged. She looked at Makoto's confused expression, Ami's concerned and worried one, to Rei's one which was hard to decipher. It looked like Rei desperately wanted to say something but wasn't. 

            _Does Rei know something that the rest of us don't?_

_            And if she does…why won't she tell us?_

----------------------

            Motoki looked up at the clock. It was almost time. Give it another ten seconds and it would happen, just like every other day. 

            The little bell on the door jingled and in walked Minako and Rei, chatting and waving a little at him. Then came in Ami, Makoto, and Usagi. Five cute girls. His job ruled. 

            "What can I get you ladies?" Motoki asked them, walking up to them jovially. 

            "I got my allowance!" Usagi cheered. "I want French fries and a triple fudge sundae. Extra fudge please." 

            "Okay and the rest of you?" Motoki inquired. 

            "Wait a second…" Minako began counting out her change. "Uh, four cokes." 

            "I'll be right back." Motoki winked at them and saw Usagi peering curiously around the place. "Oh, Mamoru isn't here yet but I'm sure he will be soon. I bet that date really broke the ice."

            "Date?" Minako and Makoto's jaws dropped. "How come I never heard anything about this?"

            "It wasn't really…" Usagi blushed and pushed her two index fingers together. 

            "What are we talking about?" Seiya popped up next to the table. 

            "Usagi and Mamoru's date." Minako answered absently, not really seeing who was asking. "So, wait, I'm confused, how come Motoki knows and I don't?"

            "Hello, Usagi-san." Mamoru had come in as well. Minako looked up and saw Mamoru and Seiya openly glaring at each other. 

            "Uh oh." Makoto whispered to Ami who decided now was a good time to get involved in a book. Motoki walked off with his pad quickly. "I have a bad feeling about this." 

            H-Hello." Usagi blushed again. 

            "So, Usagi-chan, I was about to go to an art museum but it would be totally boring unless you come." Seiya gave her a winning smile. 

            "Um…" Usagi glanced at Mamoru and then Seiya. "I don't know…"

            "Why would you take this Odango Atama there? She wouldn't know a painting from a crayon drawing." Mamoru was glaring at Seiya but not realizing that Usagi's face was rapidly turning a shade of angry red. 

            "I would too!" Usagi stood up, slamming her hands on the table. "You know what? I think I'll go with you Seiya-kun." She looked at Mamoru with her angry challenge.

            "You're not going with him!" Mamoru protested almost without thinking.

            "I can do whatever I want _Mamoru-baka_!" Usagi turned on her heel and stormed out of the arcade. 

            "Run Chiba." Rei remarked sharply to the dark-haired young man. The others looked at her curiously and Mamoru half-smiled at Rei before running after Usagi. Seiya finally recovered and decided to go after them.

            He was just running out of the building when a woman stopped him. 

            "Oh, gomen ne." A mature female voice told him and he looked up to see swirling garnet eyes. "I'm very sorry but I don't know the way to the subway station and me and my niece are a bit lost." Seiya turned from the older green-haired woman to the younger pale girl next to her. 

            "I know you." Seiya recognized the shy lavender eyes trapped behind large glasses. "I ran into you the other day, didn't I?"

            "Um, yes." The girl's pale face went pink. 

            "Oh you two know each other?" The woman's smile seemed almost too pleased. "Why don't you introduce me to your friend Hotaru?" 

            "I'm Kou Seiya." Seiya supplied, shaking the older woman's hand. "Actually, I don't know your niece's name." 

            "I-I'm Tomoe Hotaru." Hotaru supplied shyly. "And this is my aunt, Meioh Setsuna." 

            "It's very nice to meet you Kou-san." The green-haired woman bowed her head and as her head rose and her eyes met his, she said something very strange. "I hope that the olive blossoms come soon."

            "What?" Seiya's eyes widened. 

            "Oh, sorry, I was just commenting." Setsuna blinked innocently. "How about those directions?"

            "Okay…" Seiya gave directions, completely forgetting Usagi and Mamoru for the moment.

---------------------

            _I feel stupid. _

Usagi sniffled as she sat on a park bench. She had broken into tears and she had next to no idea why. It seemed like she was very frustrated. Every time she tried to be nice to Mamoru and it seemed like they were becoming friends, something like this would happen.

            _I don't understand it at all…_

_            And why can't he be nicer to Seiya? Why does he seem to hate him?_

She wiped at her eyes with the back of her sleeve. She tried not to be such a baby about things but she knew that often she acted like a little kid. 

            "Is it alright if I sit here?" Mamoru's voice asked her. Usagi turned her reddened eyes up towards him. 

            "Go ahead." Usagi tried to shrug and pretend she didn't care but she had never been very good at that. "Why are you here? Do you want to make fun of me more?"

            "No…" Mamoru closed his eyes for a moment. "I just…couldn't let you go with Seiya." 

            "Why not?" Usagi turned towards him in confusion. "Why can't you?"

            "I can't really answer that…" Mamoru trailed off. 

            "Seiya's really nice." Usagi put in. "I don't know why you two don't seem to like each other but maybe if you tried to be friends, it would work out."

            "Seiya and I can't be friends." Mamoru shook his head.

            "Everybody can be friends." Usagi protested. "Why don't you two like each other?"

            "You can't be friends with those who have the same goal, not if them reaching their goal means you won't reach yours." Mamoru took a deep breath. "To see Seiya there, asking you to go with him…that's why I can't like him."

            "I don't get it." Usagi felt even more bewildered then she had before. 

            "Maybe you will one day." Mamoru smiled at her. "Gomen nasai, Usagi-san." 

            "It's okay…" Usagi accepted his apology. "I have to go home now, or my mom will start to worry."

            "I'll see you then?" Mamoru and she stood up. Usagi was looking up at him as though she didn't know quite what to make of him. 

            _What is it that he's saying? _

_            And why does he look at me like that?_

_            He came to apologize…like he really cared about me…_

Usagi gave Mamoru a quick hug and then ran off, waving good-bye. Mamoru stared after her in amazement for a few moments. 

------------------

            "Ahhhh, no way!" Minako giggled over her cup of tea. She was hanging out at Rei's house and right then they were sitting across from each other at Rei's house. "So Mamoru _is _in love with Usagi?" 

            "Yeah, pretty much." Rei shrugged. "Couldn't you tell?"

            "Well I thought so." Minako rolled her eyes. "But that's completely different from you saying it! Then it means it's true because you're psychic! I wish I was!"

            "It's not always a gift…" Rei looked down at her teacup with a serious expression. "To see into people's minds, sometimes not even intentionally…seeing things that others can't. And then you can't say anything most of the time because it feels wrong. Like you spied on that person without them knowing."

            "So…you know all sorts of things…about all of us…right?" Minako asked slowly. 

            "Yes." Rei answered truthfully, not wanting to meet Minako's eyes. She could feel Minako's nervousness and her underlying regrets about a past she couldn't change.

            "Oh." Minako didn't seem to want to question if Rei knew anything more then that. "So…I bet you know who Tuxedo Kamen is!" Rei choked on her tea.

            "Um, yes, yes I do." Rei recovered quickly. 

            "Who is it?" Minako asked eagerly.

            "I'm not telling you." Rei sighed. "I just can't. You'll find out one day."

            "Tell me now!" Minako whined. 

            "No." Rei shook her head. 

            "Awww, you're so cold Rei." Minako giggled. "Oooooooh, is it someone we know?"

            "Perhaps." Rei decided to just be vague.

            "Urgh." Minako looked frustrated. "Fine, don't tell me then." Her eyes caught Rei's violet ones for a moment.

            _Do you know my secrets Rei? _

-----------------------

            Sorry it took so long AND that the chapter is short. I just kept trying to remember what I had written and I didn't think I had written it right and blah blah blah. A whole bunch of stuff happens in the next chapter! I just needed a transition chapter. I promise. Plus there's no more chapters to re-write after this so updates will become more regular. I'll probably post the next chapter really soon just because I feel bad I've been bad about updating this. 


	6. So Much For Disguises

Jade is still alive and kicking so naturally she has to update! So here it is a new chapter of Close Your Eyes! Thanks to those that reviewed. I'm glad you like the plot so far. ^_^. And I totally forgot to answer someone's question! Sorry! Melody's Song, yes, yes he did. But my fanfic is taking from both the manga and the anime so I'm taking the manga way where he does know! Sorry if that confused some of you. Kristina Arcadia Valor, yeah I know, I love all Hermione and Ron interactions! And the quote fit so well!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Warnings: People. Stuff. Places.

            Will Usagi figure out that Mamoru is hopelessly in love with her? Will she be able to choose between two wonderful young men? Will Yaten make an appearance in this chapter as the author loves him so much? Will Setsuna entangle more people in her twisted web of doom? Will Minako reveal what everyone who's read Codename wa Sailor V already knows? Will Tuxedo Kamen be revealed? Does anyone care because they already _know _who Tuxedo Kamen is? Will the love triangles become love octagons? Will Artemis and Luna get a bigger part in this chapter then in previous ones? Will this chapter have angst? Do you even have to ask? Just hold out your hands and...

Close Your Eyes

Chapter Five

_"If you want to destroy my sweater,  
Hold this thread as I walk away,  
Watch me unravel I'll soon be naked,  
Lying on the floor, I've come undone,"_

_                        -Undone (The Sweater Song) _by Weezer

            Mamoru stretched out a little on his couch. He had absolutely nothing planned for that evening except homework. He didn't know that his plan was about to be replaced because he had no idea what Rei had been up to that afternoon.

            The telephone rang and Mamoru reached out to answer it.

            "Moshi moshi, Chiba residence." Mamoru said automatically. 

            "Um, Mamoru-san?" A cheery voice asked hesitantly. 

            "Usagi-san?" Mamoru thought he must be hearing things. Why would Usagi be calling him? Where did she even get his number?

            "Er, hi, Rei-chan told me that you wanted to ask me something. She gave me your phone number." Usagi's answer made Mamoru's eyebrows twitch. Did Rei live for this sort of thing or something? "What's up?"

            "Well..." Mamoru searched his mind. He couldn't think of one thing that he'd possibly have to ask Usagi that she would think was normal. "What are you doing tonight?" 

            _Smooth Chiba. Now what?_

There was a clacking sound that Mamoru was still trying to figure out when a nervous giggling Usagi started talking again. "Ah, gomen, I just dropped the phone. Nothing really, well, I mean I have homework..." 

            "Oh? I still have to do my homework." Mamoru's mind worked fast. "Do you want to...um do your homework at my place?"

            There was yet another loud clacking noise as Usagi dropped the phone again. "Okay, um, I can be there in an hour." 

            "Great." Mamoru then proceeded to give her directions. "See you then."

            "Bye." And with that Usagi hung up the phone on her end. Mamoru hung up the phone but then had to pick it up again and dial a number.

            "Hino residence, you are speaking to Rei." The feminine voice on the other end announced. 

            "Rei!" Mamoru reprimanded. "What did you do?" 

            "I'm helping things along." Mamoru could practically see Rei rolling her eyes. "And if you didn't ask her out on a date after a woman took the time to call you, I should just let Seiya have her." 

            "We're not going on a date; she's just coming over to do her homework." Mamoru spoke in a sigh.

            "Well, why are you talking to me about it?" Rei questioned. "Is your apartment clean? Do you have enough food? Do you have something to drink? Get working Chiba!" And a clicking noise announced Rei had hung up. 

            Mamoru sighed as he wondered how exactly Rei had just turned it around on him. He straightened some cushions and put some stray books back in the bookshelf. That was all he really needed to do in the way of cleaning. He went into the kitchen and opened up the fridge. Nothing in there but a half carton of milk and half a dozen eggs. Mamoru needed to go grocery shopping but decided he could just order take-out. He left his apartment unlocked as he only intended to go down to the vending machines but when he got down there, he found that they were out of order. This meant he would have to go down to the convenience store. 

            _What are the chances Usagi will get back before I do?_

Mamoru left the building, forgetting he hadn't locked his apartment door. 

----------------------------------

            "It took way less time then I thought it would to convince my parents." Usagi cheered as she got off the bus in front of the apartment building where Mamoru lived.  Of course this had mostly been in due to her mother.

            She read the directions carefully before proceeding. She walked up the stairs with her books until she got to his floor. Usagi knocked on the door but there was no answer. She looked at her piece of paper again.

            _It's the right number._

She turned the doorknob and was surprised when it opened.

            "Hello?" Usagi called into the empty apartment. "Mamoru-san?" No answer.

            _He won't mind..._

Usagi tiptoed into the apartment, setting her book bag on the glass coffee table before going into the next room, wondering if he was in there. 

            She had entered the kitchen where she opened the refrigerator door. 

            "It's practically empty." Usagi commented in dismay before her grumble in protest. "And I didn't eat before I left." 

            _Still, being here puts me at ease. I don't understand why._

_            Why does he live by himself?_

Usagi realized she had never heard Mamoru mention his family before. They hadn't really talked that much about themselves to each other but in the little conversations they _did _have, he hadn't mentioned his family. 

            Her stomach rumbled again. "Better see to that." Usagi told herself. 

---------------------------

            Mamoru closed the door behind him, his habit of listening for something came, almost without thinking about it. But there was a sound.

            An odd sizzling sound and someone humming. His eyes opened quickly. Was he imagining it? Then he spotted the book bag on the table. He went into the kitchen. 

            He was greeted by the sight of Usagi trying to make eggs sunny side-up and humming to herself. 

            Mamoru cleared his throat and Usagi visibly stiffened. 

            "Mamoru-san!" Usagi whirled around before looking sheepish. "Er, see the door was unlocked and I came in and I hadn't eaten anything so I was trying to make us eggs." She put a hand behind her head.

            "They look like their burning." Mamoru pointed out. Usagi shrieked as she turned to them and tried to salvage them.

            "Oh no!" Usagi slid to her knees. "They're ruined." She turned to him tearfully. 

            "That's okay; I was going to get take-out." Mamoru said comfortingly. He turned off the stove and put the remains of the eggs in the garbage before putting the pan in the sink.

            "I'm really sorry." Usagi apologized.

            "I told you its okay. Would you like a soda?" Mamoru offered.

            "Okay!" Usagi stood up and a few minutes later they were sitting across from each other at Mamoru's table, their books open and with absolutely nothing to say to each other. 

            "So..." Usagi searched for a topic. "You live in this big apartment by yourself?" 

            "Yeah." Mamoru looked away from her.

            "That's neat." Usagi beamed. "Does your family live nearby?"

            "Actually..." Mamoru hesitated. "My parents are dead, I don't have any family." 

            "Oh! I'm sorry!" Usagi's eyes grew round with worry. "I didn't mean to bring up a bad subject." 

            "No, it's okay. I can't remember my parents anyways; I lost my memory in the accident." Mamoru explained.

            "Still, your parents dying is awful and I brought it up." Usagi looked down at her hands. 

            "How about we call that take-out place?" Mamoru asked in an attempt to make Usagi stop feeling guilty. She looked at him unsurely but he called and ordered. They didn't have too long for their food to arrive. 

            They were just digging in when the phone rang. 

            "Hello?" Mamoru answered it.

            "Chiba-san?" Minako sounded hurried. "Is Usagi over there?"

            "Do you need to talk to her?" Mamoru questioned as Usagi mimed the girl's named. 

            "Oh yeah, ARTEMIS I'M ON THE PHONE!" Minako roared. Her voice changed back to a sweet tone. "Sorry, my cat is bothering me. Can I talk to Usagi?" 

            "Okay." Mamoru handed the phone to Usagi. 

            "Minako-chan?" Usagi guessed after a moment. "Well I'm here because...No, I'm here because- Minako!" Usagi's face went red. "I am not! Oh I left my co-co-co..." She looked over at Mamoru. "My _beeper _at home. Oh no! Where? Okay, I'll be right there." Usagi hung up the phone. 

            "What was that about?" Mamoru inquired. 

            "Oh nothing." Usagi waved a hand airily. It looked like she was trying to hide something. "Listen, I've got to go over to Minako's because Artemis is having some trouble. I'll be back in half an hour, okay?"

            "What?" Mamoru jerked his head towards her. "Oh yeah, of course." 

            "I'll come right back." Usagi told him before grabbing his jacket by accident on her way out the door. 

            "Wait!" Mamoru grabbed her jacket and ran after her. 

-----------------------

            _A flower vendor? What's wrong with our enemy? They have the weirdest ideas. _

"Moon Prism Power, Make-Up!" Usagi yelled as she raised her hand. She heard an audible gasp and turned. 

            Mamoru was holding her coat, looking rather shocked. 

            _Luna's going to kill me._

"I'll explain everything lat-" She turned in time to see tentacles flying towards her.

            "Sailor Moon!" Rei came running towards her with the others not far behind. Just as she thought she was going to get hit, she heard a horrible screeching noise. She opened her eyes to see a rose embedded in the eye of the monster.

            "Noo!" Its unearthly howling made her knees shake but she turned so she could see Tuxedo Kamen.

            "Tuxedo Kam-" Usagi's eyes grew round as she saw who had thrown the rose. "...en...sa...ma..." The last syllable was choked out. 

            Mamoru was standing there, breathing hard; he had obviously just thrown the rose. 

            "Usagi..." Mamoru tried to back away. 

            "Sailor Moon!" Minako shouted before pushing her out of the way. "Crescent Beam!" She shot the beast's tentacles down. 

            "Moon Tiara Action!" Usagi came in a few moments afterwards. 

            The monster was defeated but now the five senshi had an even bigger problem: Chiba Mamoru, who was still holding Usagi's coat and standing there staring at them. 

            "What do we do?" Makoto asked, none of them had de-transformed yet. 

            "The rose, the accuracy of the throw, saving Sailor Moon's life, I can only deduct that Mamoru is in fact Tuxedo Kamen." Ami told them, her brow furrowed but her voice was rather calm. 

            "MAMORU IS TUXEDO KAMEN?" Minako yelled incredulously before rounding on Rei. "And you never told me?!" 

            "Minako, stop freaking out." Rei told her. 

            "You can't be..." Usagi made them all turn as she looked at Mamoru with tearful eyes. "Because then..." 

            _Tuxedo Kamen-sama, so romantic, so dashing..._

_            Mamoru could only ever be in love with Sailor Moon..._

"Usagi-san..." Mamoru took a step towards her.

            "Not so fast!" Luna came bounding in between them. "First I would like to ask a few questions."

            "You can't be him!" Usagi yelled startling them all before turning and running away. 

            _He can't be him because Mamoru..._

His blue eyes looking into hers deeply and his dark hair trying to hide him from the world. 

            _"Hello, Usagi-san." _

_            Mamoru..._

_            "Usagi-san..." _

_Because if he is Mamoru then I really am in love with two people..._

_            But now that he knows, Mamoru would never feel that way about me. _

_---------------------------_

            "I'm glad he cooperated so well with Luna's wishes." Rei said dryly as she watched him run after Usagi. 

            "Oh no!" Ami was typing into her computer. "The youma, it isn't dead." 

            "What?" They all looked around for the monster. 

--------------------------

            "Usagi!" Mamoru yelled after the running blonde. "Usagi, wait!" 

            Usagi did stop, she didn't turn around at first, just stood there staring forward. 

            "This jacket, it smells like roses, just like Tuxedo Kamen." Usagi hugged the jacket she had in her arms. "How come I didn't notice before?" 

            "Usagi..." Mamoru began. 

            "I bet you thought Sailor Moon was somebody other then this idiot, huh?" Usagi's shoulders dropped. 

            "Is it that horrible that I'm him?" Mamoru asked his face hard. "When I knew you were her...Gods, Usagi, do you really hate me that much?"

            "No! But how can you act like it doesn't make a difference?" Usagi turned around to face him.

            "It doesn't change anything for me." Mamoru stated. Usagi shook her head at his reply. 

            "No, that isn't true..." Usagi saw him coming towards her but she was near hysterics and was refusing to listen to him. "Tuxedo Kamen kissed me, Tuxedo Kamen kissed Sailor Moon but _you_ wouldn't." Usagi looked up at him. She only saw his eyes, dark and mysterious before it happened. 

            Mamoru was kissing her. _Mamoru _was kissing her. It was just like that night, his warm touch, his hungry mouth as he tasted hers. It was so real, so vivid that Usagi could describe it for hours. 

            "Sailor Moon! We need you!" Makoto yelled and their kiss broke apart. They were staring at each other as though they were strangers. 

            "I'm coming!" Usagi started to run back towards the other senshi and Mamoru was running right next to her, transformed as Tuxedo Kamen. 

            "Where have you two be-ehahhhhhhhhhh!!!" Minako screamed as the monster wrapped it's tentacles around her ankles and arms, lifting her off the ground. 

            "Disgusting filth, I'll teach you to try to harm the princess." A voice that sounded as if it were coming from the trees told it. Two objects went whizzing by and sliced through the monster's tentacles. Minako was dropped rather hard on her bottom. She didn't seem to be paying attention. She ran towards the trees. 

            "Danburite?" She asked almost suspiciously. "Where are you?" No answer. 

            "Who's Danburite?" Ami asked. 

            "We've got to get rid of it together!" Usagi told them all.

            "Moon Tiara..."

            "Fire..."

            "Shabon..." 

            "Supreme..." 

            "Crescent..." 

            The last bit was all jumbled together as all their attacks hit the enemy at once, this time, killing it for good. The senshi reverted back to their regular selves and Minako was looking at the trees with a sort of wonder.

            "Kaitou..." Minako whispered. 

            "Who was that Minako-chan?" Rei asked the blonde. 

            "And he called Minako the princess?" Ami put in questioningly. "Could this mean...?" 

            "Minako-chan..." Usagi was looking at her with wide eyes. 

            "Well I am the princess of-" Minako stopped sort as Artemis scratched her leg. "Ow!" 

            "Let's go home Minako." Artemis gave her a rather serious look. "We can talk about what happened later and _all of the responsibilities you have taken on_." He put special emphasis on the last phrase. 

            "Oh yeah, come on Artemis, mom'll be really mad if we get home any later." Minako let him jump up on her shoulder before the two walked off. 

            "Minako!" Makoto yelled after the blonde senshi of Venus. 

            "Artemis!" Luna called after them. Neither turned. 

            "What was _that _about?" Usagi asked the group. 

            "Nothing that we all have to know about right now." Rei didn't offer much of an explanation. "Minako will tell us when she is ready to do so."

            "Rei! You keep saying things like that but something is bothering Minako and I would like to know what it is." Makoto looked frustrated. 

            "I'm going home." Rei turned rather coldly and walked away. Makoto sighed before going after her, obviously regretting her words and wanted to make it up to the fiery senshi. 

            "We should be going home, Usagi." Luna gave Mamoru a disapproving look. 

            "Alright..." Usagi was staring at Mamoru, trying to decide what to say. Nothing was coming. "Mamoru-san...I...I'll see you later..." 

            "Usagi..." Mamoru trailed off. He opened his mouth as if to say more but then he closed his mouth as if changing his mind. He just waved over his shoulder as he went on home. 

            "Usagi-chan," Usagi turned towards Ami. "Have a nice night." Ami smiled at her. 

            "Bye Ami." Usagi nodded towards her before following Luna home. Luna didn't say anything though Usagi was sure she wanted to. When they arrived, Ikuko was waiting for them. 

            "Usagi, did you have fun at Chiba-san's house?" Ikuko asked politely. 

            "Oh no! I forgot my books!" Usagi looked down at her hands. She was still holding Mamoru's jacket. "I forgot to get my jacket back from him!" 

            "I'm sure you can get them later." Ikuko told her with a small secretive smile. "Did you eat while you were there?" 

            "No." Usagi shook her head. 

            "Well there's plenty of dinner left." Ikuko informed her. "Why don't you go have some?" Usagi went into the dining room and helped herself. But something was still haunting her about that night. 

            Why had Mamoru kissed her? 

------------------------------

            "So, I guess this means that I don't have to interfere after all, right?" Hotaru chirped as her and Setsuna walked out of the park where they had watched the whole thing take place. 

            "I'm not so sure." Setsuna's words made the smile fall from Hotaru's face. "Just to be on the safe side, maybe you should keep it up." 

            "Okay Setsuna..." Hotaru sighed wearily. 

----------------------------

            "Oh, you're sketching." Taiki commented as he walked into the living room where Yaten was sitting there, his brow furrowed as he tried to draw something on his sketchpad. "That's a good sign, isn't it?"

            "I don't really have any ideas." Yaten quickly ripped the paper off the pad and crumpled it up into a ball. Not before Taiki thought he caught what appeared to be a girl's face. 

            "Did you find a muse?" Taiki said in an almost teasing tone. 

            "No." Yaten answered in a short voice. "I was just trying to get ideas." 

            "Oh." Taiki shrugged. "You've still got lots of time before that show starts, you'll get inspired by then." 

            "What ever." Yaten tried to make it sound like it didn't matter but deep down he was wondering if he'd ever feel like drawing again. Something he couldn't say out loud to Taiki, no matter how long they had known each other. 

------------------------------

            Doom. Lots of doom in the next chapter. ^_^. And so much angst! I love this fic so much. And I hope the readers do too. Love to those who are reading and even more love to those who review! 


	7. No Mamoru, Dreams Are Bad!

It's chapter six! Writing this might be a bit tricky. Let's just say, dun dun DUN!!! Although really, sometimes people just can't stay out of other people's relationships. I'm not gonna point fingers or anything but some people need to stop somehow messing things up. So without further ado...

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. (But I know waaaay too much about it.)

Warnings: Angst, teenagers, romance, video games, and Hotaru! 

            Will Rei stop being quite so vague? Will Setsuna sue Rei for trying to steal her position as vaguest senshi of all time? Will Setsuna reply to that with 'I can't tell you that'? Will Mamoru and Usagi get a chance to talk? Will there be more kissing? Or will Seiya come back and start calling dibs on the Odango Atama? Will Seiya and Mamoru get into a fistfight over the matter? Will everyone ask for a fistfight? Will Yaten ever be able to draw again or will he be uninspired for all eternity? Will Taiki get some spotlight? Will Luna and Artemis get more spotlight? Will Artemis explain anything? Will somebody explain _what _the Starlights are doing on Earth anyways? Will Hotaru and Setsuna do some more devious scheming? Is it really all that devious? To picture it just...

Close Your Eyes

Chapter Six

_"All my life I've been searching for something,  
Something never comes never leads to nothing,  
Nothing satisfies but I'm getting close,  
Closer to the prize at the end of the rope,  
All night long I dream of the day,  
When it comes around then it's taken away,  
Leaves me with the feeling that I feel the most,  
The feeling comes to life when I see your ghost,"_

_                               -All My Life _by the Foo Fighters

            "Bye mom!" Usagi called as she ran out the door. She wasn't late this morning, a bit of a shock all around but Usagi had a hard time sleeping that night. Tossing and turning and waking up early. It wasn't like her at all. 

            But then it wasn't like Mamoru to be standing outside her house as she left. She stopped dead in her tracks. 

            "Mamoru-san!" Usagi exclaimed in surprise.

            "I brought your books. You didn't get any of your homework done." Mamoru handed her the small stack of books. "Sorry." 

            "It doesn't matter; I barely get my homework done anyways." Usagi shook her head and smiled. "Usually Ami-chan has to help me the whole time." 

            "I'll see you later at the arcade, right?" Mamoru asked before he turned to go. 

            "Okay." Usagi nodded. "Bye!" And with that, Mamoru went his own way. Usagi looked back at him for a moment and then kept going. 

            _I want the day to go by as fast as possible. I want to see him again._

_----------------------------_

            "You guys do realize that you spend more time at this arcade then anyone else excluding the staff." Motoki pointed out to the five giggling girls as he gave them their food. 

            "And you're complaining...?" Rei trailed off with her eyebrows raised. 

            "Nah, just commenting. So Usagi-chan, where's Mamoru?" Motoki elbowed the blonde who began to choke on her soda. 

            "Yeah, speaking of Mamoru, start talking Usagi." Minako crossed her arms. "Why were you at his place yesterday?" 

            "_You_ were at Mamoru's place yesterday?" Motoki looked surprised and excited all at once. "I didn't realize Mamoru was so bold." 

            "We were doing homework!" Usagi protested immediately. 

            "Uh huh." Makoto agreed skeptically. "So that's what you call it." 

            "You guys! We were doing homework!" Usagi insisted. 

            "What is this about?" Seiya appeared next to Motoki and suddenly all five senshi were acting as innocently as possible. "What are you guys arguing about?"

            "Seiya-kun!" Usagi greeted him happily. 

            _I still haven't told anybody about that kiss. And last night..._

_            Mamoru kissed me... _

_            What am I supposed to do?_

"I haven't seen you lately Usagi-chan." Seiya smiled at her. "Would you like to go see a movie with me tonight?" 

            "So pathetic..." Yaten appeared talking about something with Taiki.

            "Hi Yaten-san!" Minako waved from her place at the table. 

            "I have to go." Yaten told Taiki. "See you later." Yaten left the arcade in a hurry to avoid Minako, which was something he didn't want to even think about right then. On his way out, he paused as he caught sight of Tomoe Hotaru entering the arcade. 

            _"Tomoe Hotaru." _

Yaten shook his head and kept walking, not noticing the green-haired woman studying him with inquisitive eyes over her newspaper. 

            Meanwhile, back in the arcade, Hotaru was trying to think of a good way to approach the others. She decided to just sit at the table next to them. 

            "Um...maybe..." Usagi answered Seiya's question, pushing her two index fingers together unsurely. "I'd have to check with my parents."

            "Of course!" Seiya nodded eagerly. "So here's my number." He took out a pen and started to write it on a napkin. "Just call me and let me know." 

            "I will." Usagi was smiling but her eyes were clouded with worry and confusion. Rei was giving Seiya a withering look. 

            "That's a good book, I've read it before." Taiki commented on the book that Ami was reading. 

            "Oh really? I'm enjoying it so far." Ami smiled at him. "I'm Mizuno Ami." 

            "Kou Taiki." Taiki shook her hand. The two were soon lost in their own conversation about books. 

            "Can I get you anything?" Motoki asked Seiya. Seiya shook his head and then Motoki leaned towards Usagi. "Hey, is the girl in the next booth a friend of yours? She looks kind of lonely." 

            "Who?" Usagi stood up and looked. "I've never met her before, have you guys?" The others looked. 

            "It's Tomoe-san." Seiya commented. The dark-haired girl turned her head at the sound of her name. "Why are you hiding over there?" 

            "I-I'm not hiding." She blushed and looked down. 

            "Come join us." Makoto offered in a friendly manner. 

            "Er, alright." Hotaru got up and walked over to where the five senshi were sitting in the booth while Taiki was now sitting in a chair and Seiya was standing. 

            "What's your name?" Usagi gave her an encouraging smile.

            "Tomoe Hotaru." Hotaru introduced herself. 

            "I'm Tsukino Usagi, that's Aino Minako." Usagi pointed at Minako who waved a little. "Kino Makoto, Mizuno Ami, Hino Rei, Kou Taiki, and Kou Seiya." 

            "Are you two related?" Hotaru asked questioningly. Setsuna had never really explained that. Actually, Setsuna hadn't explained anything about the three of them. 

            "No...we're...um...cousins." Seiya got out and Taiki raised an eyebrow at him briefly. "Our other cousin Yaten isn't here right now." 

            "Oh." Hotaru thought briefly about the silver-haired young man.

            _"I'll remember you." _

"Hotaru-san, are you okay? You look a little red." Usagi commented in concern. Hotaru shook her head rapidly. 

            "I'm fine." Hotaru felt joy in the presence of the princess that she was sworn to protect. Even if Usagi didn't know who she was. 

            "Usagi-san." The group looked up at Mamoru who was holding Usagi's coat. Seiya gave him a cool look which he return before saying, "You forgot to get this last night when you were at my place." 

            "Uh oh..." Minako nudged Rei pointedly even though everyone could see that the blonde thought this was just as great if not better then her romance manga. 

            "Thank you Mamoru..." Usagi blushed as she took it. "I still have your coat." 

            "Don't worry about it; you can give it to me later." Mamoru told her. Then he looked sideways at Seiya. "You can come over again tonight; hopefully we can get our homework done without any distractions."

            Minako, Makoto, and Rei's jaws dropped simultaneously. Motoki looked as though Mamoru had announced that the building was on fire. And Usagi's face went a brilliant shade of red. 

            "Well, _Chiba-san_, I don't think Usagi will be able to make it tonight as I'm taking her to the movies." Seiya informed Mamoru with a small smirk before leaning over and actually kissing Usagi on the cheek. "I'll talk to you later Usagi-chan." 

            "Over my dead body." Mamoru murmured, not realizing that Seiya had heard him. 

            "What was that?" Seiya gave him a challenging look. 

            "Mamoru, do you want a cup of coffee?" Motoki decided to jump in _before_ any damage to the arcade was caused. He was practically yanking Mamoru away. 

            "No, I'm going home." Mamoru looked at Usagi who was looking at him with a worried expression. He left through the doors of the arcade without another word. 

            Usagi stood up, looking distracted. "I'm sorry, I can't tonight Seiya-kun, my mom said I had to do something tonight, I just remembered." With that she went out the doors. Rei noted that Usagi went the same direction that Mamoru had gone. 

            "I've gotta go too." Minako ran after Usagi before Rei could stop her. 

            "I suppose I should go home. Nice meeting you Tomoe-san." Rei bowed her head towards the dark haired girl before realizing that Seiya wasn't there. Had he left before or after Minako? 

            "Nice meeting you, I've got to leave now or my aunt will be mad." Hotaru bowed her head quickly before leaving in a hurry. 

            "This is just too weird." Makoto commented to no one.

--------------------------

            "Mamoru!" Usagi yelled after him. He turned towards her and she stopped a foot from him. "Mamoru I-" 

            "Shouldn't you be going home? You've got a date tonight." Mamoru's words stung Usagi. "Aren't you lucky Odango Atama?" Usagi's eyes grew round with hurt. 

            "I don't know Mamoru-baka." Usagi's face was strangely stone-like as she spat his name out. "You...you..." She felt tears well up. "Why are you being like this? You always say that I must hate you but you know what I think? I think you hate me!" 

            "How could I hate you?" Mamoru asked her. Usagi didn't answer. "I can't hate you." 

            "That's not the way you act!" Usagi accused him. "You're nice one moment...I wanted to see you today..." 

            "I just...Usagi, I can't watch another man kiss you!" Mamoru looked shock by his own confession. Usagi's book bag slipped from her hand. 

            "Why do you have to say things like that?" Usagi asked him, a tear sliding down one of her cheeks. "It makes it sound like..." 

            "I'm sorry Usagi..." Mamoru went forward and swept her up in a hug. Usagi was so surprised by this that she didn't know what else to do and just let him hug her, feeling lost in his warm arms.

            "Mamoru..." Usagi hugged him back. "It's okay." 

            "How can you forgive me just like that?" Mamoru asked as he inhaled the scent of her shampoo feeling perfectly content. 

            "Because people always forgive me, even when I'm being selfish so I have to be able to forgive them back." Usagi explained. 

            _You're so beautiful...but I can't tell you how much I think that...Usagi..._

_            I wish I could tell you that..._

"Usako..." Mamoru barely said it but Usagi still caught it. She stiffened and pulled away. 

            "What did you call me?" Usagi cocked her head to one side. 

            "Nothing." Mamoru shook his head. "Why don't you go home now Usagi? I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" 

            "I'll see you, Mamoru..." Usagi turned but before she could he caught her wrist. She turned with baited breath but then saw he was trying to hand her briefcase to her. As he put it in her hands, they stood there looking into each other's eyes for a few moments. Then they parted ways. 

            "Well, I'm glad that turned out alright." Minako smiled to herself as she turned, intending to really go home. That's when she saw Seiya looking at where Mamoru and Usagi had been a few moments ago with a completely crushed look. He turned and walked away. 

            _I'm so glad they resolved that so I didn't have to do anything._

Hotaru came out behind the tree she had been hiding behind. Still, something was making her feel uneasy, was something bad going to happen? 

-----------------------

            Seiya trudged to the place him, Yaten, and Taiki shared. No one was home right now to his knowledge. Yaten was probably off somewhere trying to get inspired so he could start painting for his exhibit at the art museum and he had left Taiki at the arcade. 

            He didn't turn on any lights, just sat down on the couch. He stared up at the ceiling, knowing that beyond it were the stars and a planet he had left behind.

            _"Forgive me...this is the way it has to be..." _

_            "Seiya..."_

_            "This doesn't change anything between the four of us." _

_            But it changed everything..._

_            "Or I could just abandon everyone like you did!" _

_            "Seiya, you don't understand!"_

_            "Don't I?"_

_            "I can't stand it here, I can't stand this planet!" _

_            "We request permission for a vacation to Earth." _

_            "Permission...granted..." _

_            "If this is what you really want Seiya." _

_            "No, but then I can't have what I really want." _

_            "Sayonara Seiya." _

"What the hell are you brooding about in the dark?" Yaten's voice asked as he flipped a switch on and the living room was filled with light. 

            "Nothing!" Seiya snapped at him. 

            "Thinking about Kakyuu?" Yaten inquired, leaning against a wall. 

            "Does it matter?" Seiya fired back. 

            "Yes! I want to know how much longer we have to stay on this stupid planet and when you're going to stop chasing after some girl!" Yaten was obviously frustrated with the matter. 

            "She's not just some girl!" Seiya shouted back at Yaten. "And no one is forcing you to stay here anyways Yaten."

            "She's not Kakyuu." Yaten stated. 

            "I know that!" Seiya stood up, obviously done with the argument. "Did you ever think that if you weren't such a prick you'd have friends? Maybe then you could actually draw something worth looking at." Seiya knew he had just gone too far but he didn't really care at the moment. 

            "Maybe if you weren't such an idiot, she wouldn't have gotten married to somebody else." Yaten walked out of the room, getting the last word in the argument. Seiya knew it wasn't fair to take out his frustrations on Yaten but sometimes he wondered if Yaten went out of his way to aggravate people. To keep them away. 

            _We've trained together since we were five, you'd think by now that Yaten would open up a little to us..._

_            But him and Taiki are so quick to judge me. _

_            I can't help it...those blue eyes, so full of concern and love for everything..._

_            Why can't she feel that way about me?_

_            I don't think anyone can ever love me. _

_-----------------------------_

            _There was fog all around and he was lost in it. Where was he going? Somebody was out there._

_            "Endymion! Help me!" A voice cried out. "Help me!"_

_            "Serenity!" He felt the words come from his mouth even though he didn't know who he was calling to. _

_            And then there she was. Long golden hair and that beautiful white dress, her face was shadowed and as she turned to him, he knew that it was for her that he would live and die. _

_            "The Ginzuishou...please find it...I need your help..." Her words, the same words that she always spoke. He reached out to touch her but suddenly his vision was clouded with red._

_            "Endymion!" _

Mamoru sat up in bed, sweating and shaking. The dream that had been haunting him for some time was there again. He hadn't been thinking about the lovely woman, the princess who asked him to find the Ginzuishou. The woman he had devoted his life to when there was no one else. 

            _I care about her...I can feel it...I think I love her..._

_            But...I love Usagi too. I have to find the princess and the Ginzuishou, the only link to memories I can't ever have back. _

_            The princess is supposed to be the most important thing and I forgot her. _

_            Who is she? _

_            "Disgusting filth, I'll teach you to harm the princess."_

_            "And he called Minako the princess?"_

_            "Could this mean...?" _

_            "Well I am the princess of-" _

_            Could Aino-san be the princess I'm looking for? _

Guilt rose up in him. If he was supposed to be looking for her and helping her, then he was failing at it. 

            _What do I do now?_

_-------------------------_

                Yep, this isn't just going downhill anymore, it's fallen off a cliff and into the ocean where it's sinking rapidly. What's in store for our people? Find out next time when Jade decides that 100% angst is what every fanfic needs! ^_^. Oh! And everybody should go and read Teresa's story Pain Inside, which is her first Sailor Moon fanfic! Melody's Song, I think you might enjoy it. ~_^ Reviews are greatly appreciated.


	8. Someone's Gonna Feel Stupid

Okay, here it is, another chapter. Not that it's really that important but still, had to write a chapter. And what a chapter it is too! (Teresa knows what's going to happen, she's probably swearing all over the place.) Well the chapter is calling to me and so I must write and not dawdle on author notes.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. (If I did, it would probably turn out something like this.)

Warnings: ANGST, and more confusion and more love triangles then Hana Yori Dango. 

Will Mamoru and Usagi confess their oh so obvious feelings? Will Mamoru's stupidity about who the princess is change the whole fic around? Will Usagi be able to handle the 'other' woman in Mamoru's life? Or will she just forget about him and take a vacation to the Bahamas with Seiya? Will Seiya get anywhere? Or is he as doomed as he was in the actual series? Will Setsuna and Hotaru continue to try to 'help' things? Will anymore of the mysterious Kaitou/Danburite appearances happen? Will Minako please explain that to everyone who doesn't know who he is because they haven't read Codename wa Sailor V? Will Jade ever stop praising that comic? Will Jade continue to bitch about how Minako should have gotten more spotlight in Sailor Moon because of the Sailor V comics? Will Jade continue to bitch about how no one cares about Rei's cool side story and how it's shunted aside for Luna's side story about falling in love with a human? Will that continue to be just a huge burn to Artemis? Will the questions start being about the story again? Will we ever get that fistfight? Will Seiya give a better explanation of what's going on with the Starlights? Will something cool happen? I'll tell you but only if you'll...

Close Your Eyes

Chapter Seven 

            "Urgh, I want the Sailor V doll..." Minako whined in protest as the claw machine managed to get around doing the said task. These things had to be rigged. 

            "Do you want me to try?" Minako turned around to see Tomoe Hotaru standing there, looking curiously over her shoulder. "I'm kind of good at them..." Hotaru looked down at her feet shyly. 

            "Alright." Minako shrugged. She had gotten to the arcade before everyone else that day and was passing the time by spending all her money in the UFO catcher doll claw machine, trying to get the cute Sailor V doll. The dark-haired girl they had met the other day, Hotaru, put in some money and concentrated carefully on it. 

            _She seems like a nice person..._

_            I get the feeling I know her from somewhere, I have no idea where..._

"Ah!" Hotaru looked excited as she got two dolls in the claw, one being the Sailor V doll that Minako desperately wanted, and waited patiently as they dropped into prize slot. "Here's your Sailor V doll, though I don't really recognize this character." Hotaru handed her the other doll. 

            Blonde hair and a mask, much like the one Mamoru wore as Tuxedo Kamen on his face. In his hand were three cards. One of them was an ace of hearts. 

            _"I ask of you earnestly, don't be unfaithful." _

_            That's in the past Minako! He's not here anymore..._

_            But where do those cards keep coming from? And who saved me the other night? What is this? _

_            I've got to stop thinking about it, I can't be down now! I've got a duty to fulfill!_

"Aino-san...are you alright?" Hotaru asked her. 

            "Yeah, I'm fine." Minako beamed at her. "These are cute, don't you want one though?" 

            "No, I've got lots of them at home." Hotaru shook her head. "Are the others here?"

            _"Hotaru, stick close to Usagi so you can head off Seiya whenever he is near." _

"Um..." Minako looked around. She saw Usagi waving towards her as she walked in the doors. "There's Usagi-chan."

            "Cute Sailor V doll!" Usagi complimented. "Do they have any Sailor Moon dolls?"

            "Wouldn't you rather have a Tuxedo Kamen doll?" Minako elbowed her and winked. Usagi flushed. "Where are the others?"

            "Ami went to cram school." Usagi made a face at this as if to show she'd never be caught dead in a cram school. "Rei-chan has chores and Makoto said she had lots of homework."

            "It's just the two of us then!" Minako linked arms with her before turning to Hotaru. "Er, sorry, the three of us!"

            "Tomoe-san! Do you want to hang out with us?" Usagi asked her.

            "Um...I suppose so." Hotaru shrugged cheerfully.  "What are we going to do?" 

            "Let's go somewhere else today, we always hang out at the arcade." Minako suggested right away. "We could go to the mall..." 

            "That sounds like fun." Usagi brightened. "Well, let's go." And so the trio headed towards the mall on foot since it wasn't that far.

            "What school do you go to Hotaru-chan?" Minako inquired. 

            "Um..." Hotaru wracked her brains for a good answer. Saying that you were taught through sophisticated computers at the Gates of Time was not a good answer. "Er, Mugen Gakuen." 

            "Wow! That's a really good private school!" Usagi looked impressed. "And they have cute uniforms!"

            "Er, yeah." Hotaru shrugged. "I guess so."

            Their conversation was interrupted by a scream. Hotaru knew she wasn't allowed to fight in any of the battles, Setsuna had strictly forbidden it because she said it's best if the Inner Senshi didn't know of their existence for the time being. But that didn't mean Hotaru wasn't concerned. 

            "Oh no!" Usagi and Minako looked ready to spring into action. 

            "Hotaru, stay here, we're going to see what happened." Usagi told her before running with Minako deeper into the park. 

            "I should go to...Setsuna would want me watching out for them." Hotaru told herself before following them. 

            Meanwhile, the two blonde senshi were transformed and heading towards the enemy. They caught sight of it behind some trees, sucking energy out of little kids. 

            "Stop right there!" The ordered together. 

            "Who are you?" The monster shrieked.

            "I am a pretty senshi in a sailor fuku, Sailor Moon!" Usagi told it fiercely. "And in the name of the moon, I shall punish you!" 

            "And I'm Sailor Venus, and in the name of Venus, consider yourself mystery!" Minako tried to look just as fierce. Usagi face faulted. 

            "Venus, that's 'history.'" Usagi corrected her.

            "Oh yeah." Minako sweatdropped before they turned back towards the monster. It shot ribbons at them. Hotaru was carefully hidden behind a tree. 

            _They'll be alright Hotaru; they do this all the time without you..._

"Crescent Beam!" Minako fired her attack at the monster. Usagi jumped out of the way of some more ribbons but was caught a little off guard and there was a cut on her leg and she fell to the ground. She closed her eyes shut as she saw the monster looming over her.

            _Tuxedo Kamen-sama...help me!_

_            Mamoru!_

Usagi opened her eyes as she felt herself being lifted off the ground by a pair of strong, warm arms. She looked up to see him, masked, but there. His dark hair, his determined chin, his mouth set in a firm line, it was him. 

            "Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Usagi exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. He stiffened, something Usagi wasn't used to and he put her back on the ground. He threw a rose, hitting the monster right before it could hit Minako.

            She watched as he helped Minako out, he seemed to be protecting her, pushing her out of the way of hits. 

            _It's like he's protecting her..._

_            Instead of me. _

_            But why?_

"Moon Tiara Action!" Usagi threw her tiara, effectively killing the youma. 

            "At least that's over with." Minako sighed happily a few moments later, de-transforming with Usagi. 

            "Wait, there's something..." Mamoru, who was also in his normal clothes, was looking away from them. Then he looked right at Usagi. "There's something I need to talk to Usagi about." 

            "Okay, you tell Hotaru that I'll catch up to you guys in a minute." Usagi told Minako who winked and nodded before running off, not knowing that Hotaru wasn't that for ahead of her, trying to look as though she hadn't been following them. 

            Usagi turned back towards Mamoru, but he didn't have any sort of good expression on his face. He looked very serious. She wondered what he was thinking. 

            "What do you want to talk to me about?" Usagi asked him. 

            "I have to tell you now." Mamoru looked down at the ground and then back up again, not meeting her eyes because he knew that if he did, he'd be lost in them. "The way I feel about you."

            Usagi's heart began to race and thump inside of her chest. What could this mean? What was Mamoru going to tell her? "The way you feel about me?" Usagi's mouth went dry and the words barely made it out.

            "I'm in love with you." 

            The world stopped. 

            _No...no way! _

_            This is Mamoru! Chiba Mamoru! He...he doesn't...there's just no way..._

_            Or is there? _

_            When he kissed me...I felt like...like time had stopped just for us...I've felt that way before, somewhere._

_            "Serenity!" _

_            What...? _

"So...so that's why you didn't like Seiya." Usagi began to put two and two together. "That's why you were so angry when...when he kissed me on the cheek. And that's why you'd run into me every day...and...I don't know..." 

            "I know you don't feel the same way." Mamoru looked up into her clear blue eyes. "That's why it-"

            "You always assume you know how I feel!" Usagi looked indignant. "Did ever occur to you that not everything has to have a bad ending? Did it ever occur to you that maybe, that maybe...I...I..."

            _Their lips touching together so sweetly..._

_            Holding onto him tightly..._

_            "It doesn't change anything for me." _

_            "Usako..." _

"Maybe I love you!" Usagi finally got out. Mamoru's eyes widened in shock. He couldn't say anything for several moments. He couldn't even think. How was it possible that Usagi, the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on could even suggest that she felt so strongly for him? "I...I love you." 

            Why? Why did fate have to be so horrible to him? Because they could finally be with one another, this girl he had been longing for so long, why did this have to happen? 

            _"The Ginzuishou...please...help me..."_

Those thoughts flooded into his head as Usagi stood there, hating the way he wasn't saying anything. Why couldn't he say one word to her to put her at ease? 

            "Gomen nasai, Usagi." Mamoru turned his back to her. He couldn't stand the hurt he could almost see on her face. "We...we can't be together." 

            "What?" Usagi's vision was blurred by tears. "Why are you saying that?"

            "Because...because I can't remember anything before the accident. My earliest memories were stolen from me and all I can remember is waking up in a hospital bed by myself." Mamoru tried to explain; he couldn't turn around and face her because he was too much of a damn coward to. "And then I started having dreams, dreams that linked me to what I had forgotten. A princess and always, she asks for me to find The Ginzuishou." 

            "The Ginzuishou..." Usagi repeated half-heartedly. Why the Ginzuishou? Why did it always go back to that?

            "I've been searching for that princess my whole life, and the Ginzuishou." Mamoru looked up at the sky, the same beautiful blue that was Usagi's eyes. Only now, rain clouds were starting to appear and block out the blue. "And I know that I'm supposed to love and protect that princess. I think I found her."

            "Who...?" Usagi tried not to make it obvious that she was crying, but Mamoru could tell. He winced at a small muffled half sob. 

            "Aino-san." Mamoru closed his eyes for a moment. "I think Aino-san is the princess...gomen nasai Usagi..." With that, he walked away. Usagi fell to her knees and sobbed brokenly into her hands. 

            _You...you tell me you're in love with me...what? So you can tell me we can't be together?_

_            It's so unfair!_

Usagi hit a fist on the ground as she continued to cry. Why did he do this to her? She got so close to him just so he could cut her off in a matter of moments. She didn't know what to do or where to go. She picked herself off the ground, walking away in the opposite direction. 

----------------------

            _Great, it's going to rain any second now._

Rei sighed as she continued to sweep off the steps of the Hiwaka Jinja. She didn't understand why her grandpa always asked her to sweep them, they were impossible to keep clean. 

            _Besides the fact that it takes forever._

It was okay though, Rei liked sweeping in a way because she got to wipe away the dirt and dust to show the pretty stone underneath. She liked how clean and neat she could make the place in a matter of moments. She could spend this time thinking about whatever she wanted to. She looked up at the sky once more, vowing that if it started raining, she was going inside. 

            She heard the sounds of footsteps coming up the stairs towards her. Rei put on her best smile, straightened her robes, and tried to look professional.

            "Welcome to the Hiwaka-Usagi-chan!" Rei looked up to see tears streaming down her friend's face. "Usagi, what happened?!"

            "He...he..." Usagi collapsed into Rei's outstretched arms and together they gently sat down on the steps, Rei holding Usagi as she cried into Rei's shoulder. 

            "Usagi...shhhh..." Rei rubbed her back with one hand. "Tell me what happened."

            "He said he loved me." Usagi explained. "And then...then..." 

            "Who said he loved you?" Rei questioned. 

            "Mamoru..." Usagi cried even harder. Rei just rocked her back and forth a little. 

            "Usagi...it's okay, you just let it out. Cry all you want." Rei told her comfortingly in a voice that the priestess usually reserved for her crows. 

            _Chiba-san, you'll fix what you did. _

_            Or I'll make you pay for it._

_-----------------------_

            Ahhhh! No! Bad Mamoru no baka! You suck right now. I bet you guys really are curious as to where this story is heading. Well, I can't really tell you. Other then to say, it's going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better. Ja!


	9. Rei Will Knock Yo' Punk Ass Down

Welcome back! I got a few reviews for the last chapter and I was so excited. This is my favorite story right now that I'm writing. We'll see what happens after I finish If Wishes and can put up a new story. Dun Dun DUN! But as it is, right now, this is my favorite story. Heehee, well let's watch the story unfold or fall apart even more!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Warnings: Yeah, angst.

            Will Mamoru realize that he is a total and utter baka? Will Usagi get over her first love? Or will she just accept him back? Will Seiya comfort our lady in distress? Where exactly was he in that last chapter? Will Rei go bitch-smack Mamoru a few times? Is the author considering that last one? Will Seiya replace Mamoru? Will Seiya+Usagi fans everywhere cheer? Will Hotaru continue to be the worse interferer ever? Will Teresa continue to blame everything on Artemis and Minako? Will she continue to blame the nameless one? Will Setsuna step in? Will Yaten continue to dodge Minako? Will these problems ever work themselves out? How could the story get any worse? Will the author continue to torture the readers? Will Jade stop referring to herself in the third person? Will she stop mixing French and Japanese together whenever she talks? Does that last question have anything to do with this story? Well, gomen ne, sil vous plait...

Close Your Eyes 

Chapter Eight

_"I was born to love her,   
and I will never be free,  
You'll always be a part of me,  
If you should find you miss,  
the sweet and tender love we used to share,  
Just go back to the places,  
where we used to go, and I'll be there,  
Well, how can I forget you, girl?   
When there is always something there to remind me,  
Always something there to remind me,"_

            -_Always Something There To Remind Me_, Naked Eyes__

            "He said _what_?" Rei growled as Usagi, who finally got out her story to the raven-haired priestess. Usagi had started crying again in the middle of it and Rei continued to try to calm her down. Rei was shocked by this turn of events. 

            But more importantly, Rei was pissed.

            _How could be he so stupid?!_

Of course, part of Rei reasoned that he _was_ male and males were inherently stupid. To prove their masculinity, they had to go out and do something unbelievably stupid. Mamoru had just proven he was a man.

            But another part of her wanted to kill him. After helping him, after trying to make sure that they had time together, after everything that had happened so far, he gave it all up for some dream princess? That idiot! 

            And watching Usagi heartbroken was not helping to curb Rei's anger. Rei helped her to her feet.

            "Come on Usagi-chan." Rei began to lead her until the blonde girl stopped.

            "Where are we going?" Usagi asked, her voice sounding odd from all the crying she had just done. 

            "We're going to Minako's." Rei told her. Usagi jerked her hand away from Rei. 

            "I don't want to go see Minako..." Usagi shook her head as tears began to cloud her vision once more. 

            "Usagi!" Rei grabbed the blonde by the shoulders and shook her a little. "Minako is _not _to blame for this. We are going to Minako's." 

            "You...you're right." Usagi trailed off as she let Rei take the lead once more. It took half an hour to get to Minako's house. It was around then that Usagi remembered she was going to meet up with Minako and Hotaru at the mall. Of course that was hours ago.

            Hours ago...

            _Why did he have to say those things?_

_            Minako, if you really are the princess, then he's meant for you. Not me. _

_            But he was always there to protect me..._

_            Just me._

Rei rang the doorbell and a moment later the door opened. Of course, Minako didn't really see passed the odangoes and immediately began in on Usagi.

            "Usagi-chan, where were..." Minako noticed Usagi's tear streaked face and Rei's solemn yet angry expression. "What's wrong?"

            "Minako-chan, I'm leaving Usagi with you...something happened with Mamoru, I can't explain right now." Rei informed her. Usagi looked up at the violet-eyed girl in surprise.

            "Rei...where are you going?" Usagi seemed alarmed that she was leaving. 

            "Stay at Minako's." Rei spoke firmly and didn't offer anymore explanation.

            "Come on Usagi-chan, do you want some cake?" Minako led her into the house. Rei spun on her heel and marched down to the bus stop. She was glad that she had been able to change at her house and wouldn't be making this sort of visit in her priestess robes.

            _Although maybe they would have warded off creepy bus weirdos._

Rei rolled her eyes at some guy who was obviously checking her out. She swore if he made one comment to her, she would deck him. That's all she needed, one remark from some idiot and she would be reminded of all her malice towards the male gender all at once. Luckily he didn't and she got off the bus in front of Azabu Apartments unscathed. 

            She waited impatiently for the elevator and then tapped her foot in the elevator as she rose up to Mamoru's floor. When she arrived, she made a beeline for his door, knocking in a very calm manner.

            Mamoru opened the door only part way but Rei hit the door with the heel of her right hand (something she had picked up working at the temple) effectively making the door fly all the way open and for Mamoru to stumble backwards.

            "What the _hell_ have you done?!" Rei demanded immediately, door swinging shut behind her and hands on her hips. 

            Mamoru steadied himself and got an irritated expression. "Hino-san, what are you doing?"

            "What am _I _doing?" Rei raised her eyebrows and her lips pursed together as she tried not to just start pounding Mamoru. "Well, this afternoon, I _was _doing chores until my best friend came to me in tears because of what you did!"

            "Y-you don't-" Mamoru began but was cut off.

            "Oh, I don't understand?" Rei crossed her arms. "About some dream princess that you've been seeing since you were little? Listen to me Mr. I'm An Insensitive Ass, the mission of the sailor senshi is to protect that very same princess so before you go off on 'I have a duty to fulfill' so do the rest of us."

            "Shut up Rei! Just shut up!" Mamoru was answered with silence. Good, that was what he wanted for a few moments. "Do you think it was easy? But it would have failed eventually, wouldn't it? The princess...I love her, I know I do."

            "Any relationship can fail eventually!" Rei countered. "What if it doesn't work out between you and the princess? And how do you know who the princess is? For all you know, it could be Usagi!"

            "But that night at the park..." Mamoru trailed off, suddenly all his arguments and convictions were being shredded to pieces. 

            "Chiba, men know women by different names then other men." Rei spoke cryptically. "Why won't you go after her? You love her!"

            "Rei you don't know anything about it!" Mamoru shouted at her. 

            "Like hell I don't!" Rei stomped one of her feet.

            "Just because you see everything because of some freaky psychic ability does not mean you can order everyone else around!" Mamoru realized what he said only a second too late. Rei slapped him across the face before turning away from him. 

            "I know that." Rei's voice was like a thin coat of ice trying to cover flames burning deep inside her. "Well this freak thinks you don't deserve her after all. Maybe Seiya's the better man and maybe for once one of my visions was wrong. I hope so, because you'll only hurt her." 

            And Rei was gone. The only trace that she had been there were the words still ringing in his ears and the stinging of her slap on one of his cheeks.

            _I've never had very many friends...I think there went another one. _

_            Gods, Rei, I'm sorry for saying that. But why..._

_            Why does everything you say make so much sense?_

_---------------------_

            "And then he walked away." Usagi was too numb to cry now. Minako had an arm around her shoulders, telling her it would be okay. "He just walked away Minako-chan." 

            "Oh Usagi, I'm so sorry." Minako hung her head. "I feel like it's all my fault."

            "No, no, that's wrong; it can't be your fault." Usagi shook her head vigorously. "At first I wanted to be mad at you and hate you but I couldn't. I knew I'd never be able to hate you V-chan." 

            "Odango Atama." Minako teased, lightly tugging on one of Usagi's pigtails. "I'll never be able to hate you either. I bet you don't even hate Mamoru right now. No matter how much you want to hate them, you can't...because...you know deep down they'll always be apart of you, no matter what." 

            "Minako..." Usagi gave her a curious look.

            "But the past is the past. That's where it should stay." Minako looked very faraway for a moment. 

            "Demo, Minako-chan, you never really talk about...you know, being Sailor V." Usagi began. "Why don't you like talking about it?"

            "I think we need some more cake." Minako got up with a faked cheerful smile. Usagi looked after her frowning. Why wasn't Minako willing to talk about it? 

            "Minako just doesn't like to think about the past sometimes." Artemis excused the blonde. "There's a few bad memories there."

            "Usagi-chan, please try to cheer up, it's hard to see you not smiling." Luna nudged Usagi's hand. 

            "I hate the princess."

            Both cats blinked in surprise. 

            "Usagi, you can't mean that!" Luna looked torn. "The princess is your destiny."

            "Can't I?" Usagi asked them angrily. "I don't care who she is, she's ruining my life."   
  


            Minako watched for a few more moments sadly in the shadows of the doorway before going in.

------------------------

            "Oh, hello you guys." The group looked up at Hotaru who was digging a toe into the floor shyly. 

            "Hey Hotaru, what are you doing?" Makoto asked. 

            "Nothing." Hotaru shrugged. Rei wasn't paying attention to them though, she was suddenly gripping Usagi's arm with one hand. Usagi looked at her strangely before noticing where Rei was staring. 

            Mamoru had come into the arcade. 

            It was so hard seeing him again, Usagi felt a lump form in her throat. Why had he come there? He didn't even glance in her direction, just walked coldly towards the counter where Motoki was waiting for him.

            "Coffee." Mamoru ordered sharply.

            "Well aye-aye captain." Motoki went to get a mug. "Somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed today."

            "Hmm..." Mamoru didn't say anything else. 

            "Is something bothering you?" Motoki questioned. "You look a little...weird. And you didn't even notice Usagi is here! I thought you two had radar or something." Motoki glanced over at the usually happy go lucky blonde to see that she was looking at Mamoru with a sad expression and Rei was openly glaring. 

            Mamoru didn't answer and Motoki decided he should try to press him. "Did something happen with Usagi?"

            "I don't want to talk about it." Mamoru's brow furrowed. Motoki knew that Mamoru was definitely not going to talk so he had to move to Plan B. Go ask the girls. 

            He went over there, looking so casual with his cleaning rag. 

            "Um, is something going on that I should know about?" Motoki asked the girls. Rei jerked her head towards him, still glaring but then realized who it was and relaxed a little. Usagi looked even more depressed, Minako was shooting concerned looks at Usagi, and Makoto and Ami were looking at each other in confusion. Why were they always the ones to know things last?

            Minako got up and led Motoki a little away from the table and spoke in a low voice for a few moments. 

            Then Motoki's expression changed and he stalked over to the counter. 

            "You...you..._idiot_!" Motoki slammed two hands down on the counter in front of Mamoru. 

            "What the hell-" Mamoru began but Motoki was not going to let him finish.

            "You tell Usagi how you feel about her, _finally_, and she tells you she feels the same way AND YOU TELL HER YOU CAN'T BE TOGETHER BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU IN YOUR PAST?" Motoki's yelling had attracted the _entire _arcade, some of which were suddenly losing games because they turned around to watch. 

            "I'm sick of people bothering me about it!" Mamoru stood up. "This isn't your problem!"

            "You told him?!" Rei hissed accusingly at Minako.

            "I only told him an abridged version and I didn't think he'd shout it loud enough for everybody in a mile radius to hear!" Minako defended. 

            "Motoki I don't need this right now." Mamoru threw some money on the counter. "Keep the change." And with that he walked out the door, bumping into Seiya and glaring at him. 

            "Er, hi Seiya." Hotaru looked down at her feet. Minako chewed on her lip for a second contemplating what to do. 

            "Hotaru, have you played the Sailor V game yet?" Minako grabbed Hotaru's hand and dragged her off to the game even though Hotaru protested. 

            Makoto watched the exchange and looked at Usagi who looked five seconds from crying and at Seiya who was approaching the table.

            "Usagi-chan...why the sad face?" Seiya asked. Rei raised imperious eyebrows at him and he wondered why she was giving him such a look as though _he _was to blame. Usagi looked up at him, her eyes clouded over with tears. 

            "Seiya-kun, will you walk Usagi home?" Makoto asked him. Seiya blinked in surprise. 

            "I can if she wants me to." Seiya agreed.

            "No." Rei spoke sharply.

            "Rei, Makoto and I don't know what's happened between who and we wouldn't mind explanations but at the moment we would settle for seeing that Usagi gets home safely." Ami said it in a cool voice that suggested the genius was angry with the others. 

            "I don't think he should walk her home, I will." Rei shook her head. "He needs to stay out of the way for now."

            "Rei, I'm getting a little sick of you acting like you're in charge of everything." Makoto pursed her lips. 

            Usagi got up and walked out of the arcade. Rei stood frozen for a few moments. 

            "I...I'm sorry." Rei looked away from them. "I just don't want to see her like this. I'm sorry." Rei walked out of the arcade, going in the opposite direction that Usagi had turned and breaking into a run. 

            "Do you think I went to far?" Makoto looked uneasy.

            "You were being straightforward and truthful, which is exactly what Rei would expect of you." Ami took a deep breath. "Seiya went after Usagi-chan." Ami noted the disappearance of the dark-haired boy. "I'm going to go talk to Rei." Ami got up and left.

            It was this time that Minako and Hotaru returned to the table. 

            "I told you I'm not much good..." Hotaru looked like she was apologizing. "Where did everybody go?" She looked around.

            "Rei left, Ami went after her, Usagi left, Seiya went after her." Makoto explained.

            "Oh." Hotaru said in a small voice.

            _Setsuna's not gonna like this._

_-------------------------_

            "Usagi! Usagi!" Seiya ran after her and finally caught her wrist as she walked, effectively stopping her. "What's going on?"

            "I can't tell you." Usagi pulled her wrist away. 

            "Of course you can, you can tell me anything." Seiya told her. "Come on, let's sit down and you can tell me." They sat on a nearby bench. 

            "You'll hate me...after what you told me. So many people hate me right now." Usagi saw a tear splash down onto her hands. 

            "Tell me." Seiya pressed her. "Please, whatever it is, I won't care."

            "Mamoru told me he was in love with him." Usagi began and Seiya's eyes widened. "And, that's when I figured out I was in love with him too. Even after you said you liked me because...well, Mamoru...there's a connection I feel with him. But then...but then he told me that...that there was someone else who he loved and loved more then me."

            "How could he do that?" Seiya didn't understand the other man's course of action at all. Anger welled up and he wanted to hit Mamoru, maybe just to knock some sense into the guy that could be heartless enough to break Usagi's heart.. His arms went around her and Usagi cried into his shoulder. 

            "Gomen..." Usagi murmured. 

            "Don't apologize. Now that that jerk rejected you, I'm going to win over your heart." Seiya promised her fiercely. "Usagi, I'll always be there for you." 

            _I don't deserve this._

_            I don't deserve the way Seiya's caring for me. _

_            He really does like me._

_            What do I do?_

_--------------------------_

            The next day, Ikuko was worried about her daughter. Something was definitely going on. She hadn't been a mother all these years without being able to just sense these things. Plus Usagi's loss of appetite was a sure sign of something bad but Usagi just shrugged when her mother asked. Except for last night. A young man had brought Usagi home, kissed her on the forehead, and left. Ikuko thought that it must be Chiba Mamoru but learned it was someone else.

            _She's too young to have her heart broken. _

"I wonder why Usagi's been so sad lately?" Kenji wondered out loud. 

            "I think its boy troubles." Ikuko sighed.

            "What?!" Kenji sat straight up. "She's too young to know any boys!" 

-------------------------

            "So that's all that's happened." Minako explained over tea at the Hiwaka Jinja. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you guys right away but I guess...I've been sort of out of it lately."

            "And I didn't want to worry you guys." Rei added on resignedly. "I'm sorry you guys were left out."

            "It's okay." Ami and Makoto chorused.

            "None of us were expecting to have to deal with something like this." Makoto smiled at the others. "So, we're all cool?"

            "Yeah." Minako nodded. "So...all that remains is that we cheer up Usagi. I don't care if Seiya did walk her home; she needs to have her spirit boosted."

            "Agreed." Ami took a deep breath. "What should we do?"

            "I guess we could throw a party..." Rei trailed off before she was hit with inspiration. "A beach party, you know how much Usagi likes the beach!"

            "And we can invite Seiya-kun and his friends!" Minako's hands clapped together with delight. 

            "And Hotaru-chan, she's nice." Ami added onto the guest list. 

            "I think she has a thing for Seiya." Minako voiced her suspicion. "She acts weird when he's there."

            "Well, she's really shy." Makoto defended. "Maybe she has trouble talking to guys, like Ami."

            "I don't have difficulties speaking, thank you." Ami opened a book she had picked off Rei's bookshelf.

            "Okay, right." Minako rolled her eyes. "This is my impression of Ami trying to talk to a guy," Minako picked up a book and buried her face in it. "Rei, be the guy." Rei sighed.

            "Hello Ami." Rei lowered her voice several octaves.

            "Oh! Um...er, ah..." Minako pretended to blush and stick her face further into the book before collapsing in giggles. Ami blushed a little but tried to look dignified.

            "It's not that bad." Ami protested. 

            "Don't make me pull out my Minako in love impression." Rei hit Minako playfully. 

            "I can do that one perfectly!" Artemis volunteered. He made his eyes go as big as they could go. "Oh, he's sooo great! He's my 300th first love!" 

            "ARTEMIS!" Minako hit him. "I'll do my impression of you around Luna if you don't stop it." 

            "Hey guys." Everyone turned to see Usagi who was opening the door with Seiya. Minako clamped both hands down on Artemis quickly, hoping that Seiya hadn't accidentally heard Artemis talking. 

            "Um hey!" Minako greeted her. "We were thinking of throwing a party, whadda ya' think Usagi?"

            "A party?" Usagi's eyes brightened. "That's sounds fun."

            "A beach party." Rei looked over at Seiya. "And we were going to invite Kou-san and his friends, if he can go."

            "Really?" Seiya was surprised by the change in the raven-haired girl's attitude. Was she planning to get him alone at the party and try to drown him? "I'm sure we can make it, just tell me when."

            "How about this Saturday?" Minako asked the others. "It's starting to get colder outside, it'll be the last beach party of the season." 

            "Alright." Seiya agreed. "I'll make the others leave the house even if I have to drag them out."

            "Cool, let's make it a barbecue too." Makoto suggested. "I'll make food."

            "We should invite Motoki and his girlfriend." Usagi put in. "Doesn't he have a grill?" 

            "No books Ami." Minako teased the blue-haired girl. 

            Rei watched the group, pretending to be smiling but she felt uneasy. There was someone else that needed to be invited.

            _So much more trouble then its worth._

_--------------------------_

            I can't believe all the reviews I've been getting for this story! Or the incredibly nice ones I got for my new Sailor Moon fanfic, The Evening of the Moon. I've been getting a lot of questions about whether I made Minako the princess…I'm not exactly sure why. Anyways, I'm working hard to put out my chapters for you guys. And dammit, Teresa, don't be a smartass. Or else I'll review Take My Hand and ask when you're updating. ^_^. Review please! 


	10. Wants To Draw Her, EH?

I deleted this whole chapter on accident. But not this time! Feel my wrath! 

Melody's Song: Actually, yes in fact it IS the Hikawa Jinja. I checked the Manga of Naoko Takeuchi website (my personal bible) and in fact it is Hikawa Jinja. But, at the same time, SO many people say Hiwaka Jinja. That's kind of funny. Now that I've already made this mistake though, I'm just going to stick with it for this story and The Evening of the Moon. I can't believe I've been wrong this whole time. o.O It's probably my stupid American ways. (Why wasn't I born British?) 

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon despite repeated attempts.

Warnings: Yaten! (Yes!) Some mild cussing, some mentions of violence, Hotaru in a bathing suit! o.O! 

            Is the party doomed to reign doom upon the doomed heads of our doomed characters? Will the author see how many times she can fit the word 'doom' in a sentence? Will Rei do something cool? Will Seiya get a piece? Will Seiya get sand stuck in an awkward spot? (Chibi J ~_^) Will Mamoru undo some damage or will he just be shot on sight? Will Yaten and Taiki get to be in the story a little more? Will everyone get sick of Usagi's woes and just ignore her? Will Rei ignore her and run off on a European honeymoon with a certain sexy sexy blonde member of the Shittenou? Will the story fall apart without Rei? Will Setsuna take out a lawsuit on Rei for doing HER job? Will Setsuna actually do something or just send Hotaru to do it so she can just sit back and enjoy the show? Well, if we're going to do this, you have to...

Close Your Eyes

Chapter Nine

_"A cloud appears above your head.   
A beam of light comes shining down on you.   
Shining down on you.   
The cloud is moving nearer still.   
Aurora borealis comes in view.   
Aurora comes in view.   
And I ran.   
I ran so far away.   
I just ran.   
I ran all night and day.   
I couldn't get away."_

_           -I Ran (So Far Away), _Flock of Seagulls

            "So I'm sorry." He told her. The raven-haired girl took a deep breath.

            "Okay, I think I can get you one more chance." She told him. "Just do me one favor?"

            "What?" He asked.

            "Don't screw up."

            *                                              *                                              *

            Hotaru was really looking forward to the party. She had never been invited to a party before but it sounded fun. That was until Setsuna tried to spring something on her at the last moment.

            "Setsuna, I'm not wearing it!" Hotaru huffed as she stood in the bathroom examining the black one piece swimsuit.

            "Hotaru, it's just a swimsuit." Setsuna spoke calmly though the door. "The other girls will be wearing them too."

            "But...but..." Hotaru trailed off, searching blindly for a good excuse. "I'll burn!"

            "Since the party starts late you'll probably be in little danger of that." Setsuna replied. "Hurry or we'll be late."

            _Typical Setsuna, change the subject to get your way._

"Here, you can wear this over it." Setsuna opened the door and handed her an oversized black button up shirt. Hotaru smiled gratefully.

            _But then, Setsuna is always nice about it._

Hotaru changed, putting a pair of shorts on and putting on the overshirt, rolling up the sleeves and bravely walked out of the room.

            "You look good." Setsuna smiled. "We'll drive there.

            "Trying to look normal?" Hotaru raised her eyebrows. "I didn't know you could drive." Setsuna coughed.

            "Well, not strictly legally in _this _lifetime." Setsuna picked up a set of car keys. "Now," Setsuna cleared her throat. "Let's get going." 

            *                                              *                                              *

            This is going to be sooo much fun!" Minako squealed. Usagi was grinning at the set up of the party. 

            "You're right." Usagi agreed trying to push her thoughts away of Mamoru.

            "Um..." Makoto looked nervous. "I thougth maybe...well, I know she didn't tell you guys..." 

            "What?" Usagi asked.

            "Rei's...Rei's bringing someone." Makoto stated and was obviously trying to get around saying it outloud.

            "Oh! Rei-chan has a boyfriend, doesn't she?" Minako picked up a soda.

            "No, they're just friends..." Makoto was becoming more uncomfortable by the second. 

            "Let me clear up the confusion." Ami sat up in the chair that she had been curled up in it. "Now, if Rei was bringing a new love interest, Makoto would be very excited." Ami began.

            "Okay." Minako and Usagi nodded together.

            "So, by the fact that Makoto is nervous, it implies that she is nervous about your reaction. Therefore, Rei must be bringing a controversial guest. Since there's only one person who could create such an upset in Makoto, I deduct that Rei is bringing-" Ami was cut off.

            "Mamoru." Usagi felt her eyes water. "Baka." She wasn't sure if she meant him or herself. Probably both.

            "You don't have to be so unfeeling about it Ami-chan." Minako frowned, the mood slowly going down hill. 

            "It's logic Minako-chan." Ami told the blonde. "Emotion isn't supposed to be involved." Ami's face and tone became more sympathetic. "Usagi-chan, it's okay because Seiya's coming."

            "Yeah Chiba-san will see him and well..." Minako chewed on her lip. So any signs of guests?" Minako brightened. 

            "Nope." Makoto shielded her eyes from the sun to look. "Oh wait...I see Seiya-kun."

            "Really? Did he bring his friends?" Minako jumped on Makoto's back and peered out into the distance. "He did! Yaten-san is so cool!"

            "I'm glad. I enjoyed talking with Taiki-san last time." Ami's face went red as everyone turned and looked at her.

            "Ami-chan's in love." Usagi joked. Ami's face brightened a few more shades.

            "Usagi-chan!" Seiya waved as the trio approached.

            "Seiya-kun!" Usagi felt her sadness get pushed down a little. 

            _Stop thinking about Mamoru! Even if Seiya looked like him..._

_            Baka, baka, baka!_

_            A cute boy is here for you and you don't even care?_

"Hi Yaten-san." Minako greeted the silver-haired boy whose face twitched in irritation. "Is that a sketchpad?"

            "Um, am I on time? Setsuna drives slow." Hotaru's small voice came from behind the three boys. 

            "It's a party; you can't be late unless it's over." Makoto assured her. 

            "Oh." Hotaru nodded. "Um..." There was an awkward silence as her face went red from the attention and she stared at her feet. 

            "Hotaru-chan, come sit with me." Ami had an endearing look for the lavender-eyed girl who greatly reminded her of herself. "This book is really good." Hotaru sat down looking grateful to the blue-haired senshi.

            "We have hot dogs and burgers and stuff on the grill." Usagi pointed to Motoki who was grilling and having a small friendly argument with Reika. 

            "Cool." Seiya grinned at her again. Usually she was happy but he didn't like that small frown that she was wearing. Something was worrying her. 

            "I brought stuff for the grill." Yaten walked off towards the grill, Minako right behind him. 

            "Oh vegetable-kabobs! Are you a vegetarian?" Minako's blue eyes were bright with eagerness.

            "I think Minako-chan has a thing for Yaten." Seiya said out loud what the others were thinking.

            "I don't know..." Ami frowned as she tried to think. "That card..." Several people were giving her strange looks as they had no idea what she was talking about.

            "Don't ask her about it, she'll tell us on her own time." Rei's voice made Usagi turn slowly. There standing next to Rei was Mamoru. He looked straight at her but dropped his eyes a few moments later. 

            "Rei-chan! Your swimsuit is so cute!" Makoto exclaimed.

            "Oh thanks." Rei let herself be pulled aside by the brunette.

            "Why did you bring him?" Makoto asked fervently.

            "They're not going to make up if they avoid each other." Rei hissed back.

            "But Seiya's here!" Makoto looked like she was going to rip out her hair. 

            "I know that! Just be nice okay?" Rei pleaded with the brunette.

            "Fine." Makoto nodded her head.

            "I could never be a vegetarian; I just like meat so much!" Minako clearly had eyes for only one person at the party. He was grumbling as he sat down next to Hotaru, who went pink.

            "Er, um, hello Kou-san." Hotaru bowed her head a little.

            "Hello." Yaten opened his sketchpad and began sketching the beach. 

            "Do you two know each other?" Taiki raised his eyebrows at them. 

            "K-kinda." Hotaru stammered. 

            "I'm Kou Taiki." Taiki shook her hand. "Ami-chan! I didn't see you hiding under that hat."

            "It's not that big." Ami took off her large straw hat sheepishly.

            "You're so good!" Minako commented as she watched Yaten draw. He made an irritated noise. 

            "Don't talk to him when he's doing that." Taiki warned. "He hates it." Minako backed away and decided to find a chair. Unfortunately, the only chair was between Seiya and Mamoru, a place not many people would want to seat. Resignedly she took it. 

            Rei attempted conversation among the four people. "So, good thing it didn't rain, huh?" Usagi was focusing way too much on her soda, Seiya and Mamoru were shooting each other evil looks and Minako was giving Mamoru wary glances when not looking over at Yaten.

            "Yeah." Minako looked peeved that Yaten was sitting between Taiki and Hotaru. He didn't purposefully sit there. He just wanted to sit next to Taiki. 

            "I hope Motoki gets some burgers done soon, I'm hungry." Usagi was still staring at her soda but seemed to be trying to make a conversation work. 

            "You'll need more then some." Mamoru winced as soon as he said it. Usagi's eyes shut and suddenly she was on her feet.

            "You have no right!" Usagi yelled at him, attracting everyone's attention. "Mamoru no baka!" And then she ran away from everyone. Seiya and Mamoru both got up.

            "Sit down!" Rei ordered. "She needs some time by herself. Give her a chance to think. And would you stop looking at each other like you're just waiting for the other to turn around so you can stick a knife in them? 'Cause it's _not _helping anything right now."

            "She's right." Minako agreed.  

            They waited for Usagi to return but she didn't. Half an hour later, Minako was starting to get worried about the whereabouts of their friend.

            "It's been awhile..." Minako checked her watch. "What if she's hurt or lost?" 

            "We should split into search groups." Rei suggested. "Reika and Motoki can stay here in case she comes back."

            "I don't think him and Reika know what's going on." Makoto commented as the couple by the grill was paying less and less attention to the food. 

            "I'll go with-" Minako was cut off.

            "I'll go with..." Yaten looked at the others and tried to decide who would be the least annoying to be paired up with.

            "I want to help find Usagi too." Hotaru volunteered.

            "Okay you two." Rei paired them off and Minako looked cheated. "Minako and Ami. Makoto and I-"

            "Mamoru left." Seiya stated in something that sounded like a complaint. "I don't need a partner." And then he went off. 

            "I'll go with Minako and Ami now that Seiya has run off." Taiki shook his head a little. 

            "Let's spread out then." Rei gave the order.

            *                                  *                                  *

            Mamoru had found her. She was sitting on a rock, not facing him. He wasn't sure what to do.

            "Usagi-san." 

            She turned around, her eyes rimmed with red from crying and her skin looking puffy and red. 

            "Why are you here? Did Rei send you?" Usagi asked him. 

            "No." Mamoru shook his head. "I came here because I wanted to talk to you."

            "About what?" Usagi turned back around so she wouldn't have to look at him. 

            "A lot of things." Mamoru took a deep breath. "Because I hurt you and that's all I can think of."

            "You're the one who hurt me." Usagi reminded him. 

            "I know, I think Rei's reminded me enough times." Mamoru closed his eyes. "She told me to stop being so stupid and just go after you because I'm in love with you. But how could I? One day the princess would come."

            "I already know this, why are you telling me again?" Usagi was so tired from crying. 

            "Because she's not you." Mamoru explained. "Because I love you and I would never be able to be with her without thinking of you. Does that mean I love you more? I don't know. I just know that I love you now and not everything lasts forever. I want to be with you now." 

            "What happens when the princess comes?" Usagi stood up and turned around. "What happens when she comes?"

            "I don't know." Mamoru admitted. "I don't know what's going to happen. But while she's always been there, you're the one who brightened my day. You're the one who made me see that there was still good things about the world." 

            "Why do you have to say things like this?" Usagi asked him. "It makes me feel like we can be together and be happy..."

            "We can be, if you'll let me make you happy." Mamoru told her. 

            "Even if it is only for a short time, I still love you." Usagi took a step towards him. 

            "Let's be together now." Mamoru offered a hand towards her. "Okay, Usako?" 

            "Okay." Usagi smiled warmly at the nickname. Where was all the pain she had felt only moments before? And was it right to forgive him like this? She didn't know but it felt right.

            *                                              *                                              *

            "Usagi-chan!" Hotaru yelled. "Usagi!

            "You're so quiet, even your yelling voice doesn't go very far." Yaten looked around. Stupid blonde running off and making him have to get up and climb rocks. 

            "I-I..." Hotaru looked down at her feet.

            "I was just teasing you. Don't take everything so personally." Yaten looked out towards the nearly set sun. "Why are you so scared of the world?"

            "I'm not, I just..." Hotaru trailed off. "I don't go out a lot." She looked towards the sunset as well, wondering what it would have been like to grow up in the world. A timid sailor senshi. Now there was an oxymoron.

            Yaten's eyes widened as he turned towards her, the wind blowing her hair out, her eyes focused on the distance, her bare legs perfectly contrasting with the black she was wearing. Before he even realized it, his sketchbook was open and the overwhelming sense to draw took over.

            "Huh? What are you doing?" Hotaru's eyes bulged in fear.

            "Stand still!" Yaten ordered. "Look back at what you were looking at."

            "No-no!" Hotaru waved her arms. "Please don't!"

            "An artist needs models." Yaten insisted, he needed to capture what he had seen. "Go back to how you were."

            "No, please." Hotaru insisted. Yaten frowned and put his sketchbook down. 

            "Calm down, okay? Just pretend you don't know what I'm doing." Yaten waited till she gulped and looked out towards the horizon before he got up and went to move her face into the position he wanted. Hotaru blinked and took a quick step back.           

            "What are you doing?" Hotaru got out.

            "I'm just going to touch your face." Yaten carefully moved her head the way he wanted. "There, don't move." Finally she was back in her original stance and obviously trying not to look embarrassed. 

            Yaten sat down with his sketchpad and began drawing the first lines when Hotaru began waving her arms.

            "Usagi-chan!" Hotaru called. Yaten stifled an annoyed grunt but it was still heard. "Er, sorry, I just saw her but Chiba-san is talking to her." Hotaru saw another figure approaching them. Seiya. Setsuna would want her to do something. "I have to go!"

            "Wait." Yaten grabbed her wrist. "I haven't finished."

            "I'll pose for you later." Hotaru was in a rather frantic mode if she was going to intercept Seiya. Yaten's grip tightened.

            "Promise?" Yaten asked. 

            "Yes, yes." Hotaru broke free and went running. Yaten watched her leave for a few moments before looking at the few lines and sighing. Now what was he supposed to do? He got off the ground and started down the rocks. 

            *                                              *                                              *

            "Oh no!" Hotaru almost reached Seiya when her foot caught on a rock and her ankle twisted. 

            "Itai." Tears welled up. It felt like it was a sprain.

            "Huh?" Seiya turned towards the noise. Hotaru was clutching her ankle. "Are you hurt Hotaru?"

            "M-my ankle." Hotaru told him weakly. "I think it's sprained."

            "Here..." Seiya shot a hesitant look towards Mamoru and Usagi. "I'll...I'll help you back to the party." 

            "Arigotou." Hotaru murmured as he put an arm around her waist, lifting the other arm around his shoulders. He supported her weight, all the time glancing back at Usagi as they made their way back.

            "Have you found her yet?" Minako could be heard asking Rei.

            "No, Yaten said that Hotaru went running after her." Makoto sighed. 

            "Hotaru?" Ami saw the girl being brought in by Seiya. "Are you hurt?"

            "I think I hurt my ankle." Hotaru smiled at the blue-haired senshi. "Clumsy me, huh?" They helped her into a chair, right next to Yaten.

            "Let's get some ice on that." Ami immediately took charge of the situation. 

            "You twisted your ankle?" Yaten raised his eyebrows at her. "What a klutz."

            "That's really nice." Seiya rolled his eyes. 

            "So, did you see Usagi?" Minako asked Hotaru. 

            "She was with Mamoru." Seiya answered and silence reigned over the other party-goers. He couldn't see Rei with a victorious grin. This was probably a good thing. Seiya seemed to be off in his own world and Minako was trying to liven things up by suggesting a volleyball game.

            This would have gone over better if Mamoru and Usagi hadn't decided to come back right then. Seiya said his head hurt and walked away from the noise. Usagi tried to go after him but Rei immediately claimed her for her team. Minako was pouting because Yaten didn't want to play. The others all did and the game went on while Hotaru and Yaten watched.

            "You promised." Yaten said in an almost absent voice. 

            "You don't really want me to pose, do you?" Hotaru asked him in a hopeful voice. Setsuna always taught her to keep her promises. But he couldn't actually expect her to do this. 

            "Yes I do." Yaten spoke sharply. "I want you to come to my house on Wednesday. After you get out of school." 

            "Okay." Hotaru resigned. Why did she have to promise? He gave her a few more instructions and Hotaru took them before sighing. 

            _Things are sure going to get weird._

*                                              *                                              *

            Okay, yeah, that's it for now. More next time. It was an important chapter! And don't think the story is even CLOSE to being over. It can't be the first season without someone getting brainwashed. ~_^


	11. He Totally Wanted To See Her Naked

Woohoo, chapter next and a half baby! 

Teresa, yeah, you're a hentai. Nice review. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Warnings: I'm a doughnut! 

Will Seiya be heartbroken now that Usagi and Mamoru have officially gotten together? Will he mope continuously? Maybe he needs some chocolately goodness? Why doesn't Word accept that 'chocolately' is in fact a word? Will Taiki do something in this chapter? Isn't Taiki painfully neglected? Will Luna and Artemis get some lines? Will Mamoru and Usagi stay together for long? Will Yaten draw lots of pictures of Hotaru? Is this an excuse to get to spend time with Hotaru? Could the plot device be anymore obvious about it? Will Jade reveal who the Princess is so people will stop asking? Will Jade continue to wonder if _anyone _has read the Sailor Moon manga? Will Minako's strange ace of hearts buddy show up? Will Rei get to be cool in this chapter? Will we all cheer? Will Ami and Makoto get to do stuff? Will the Starlights start talking about what's going on? Will Setsuna continue to be vague?! Now all you have to do is…

  
  
Close Your Eyes

  
Chapter Ten

            Hotaru was glad that Setsuna left to go on some errand that Wednesday because she didn't want to have to answer any questions. In fact, Hotaru wasn't sure she should say anything to Setsuna.

            _But then, maybe Setsuna already knows?_

_            Well…I mean, it's probably not all that important if she knows or not…so…_

She hefted the back on her shoulder and set off. She couldn't believe Yaten was serious about this; she wasn't exactly a great beauty by any means. In fact, she had never really thought of herself as even semi-attractive. 

            She checked the address three times, stalling for time. But eventually she had to knock on the door. Yaten answered immediately, like he had been standing right by the door just waiting for her to knock on it. 

            "Come in." He led her right passed the living room which looked really nice and into what was obviously Yaten's room. It was rather big with the bed pushed into the corner and his easel plus what looked like an entire art store's worth of supplies next to it. 

            He immediately went over to his set up and began looking through it.

            "Um, er, what should I do?" Hotaru asked nervously.

            "Did you do what I asked you to?" Yaten questioned as he looked through his various supplies. 

            "H-hai." Hotaru clutched her bag. "The clothes, r-right?"

            "Hotaru, do you have a stutter?" Yaten looked up at her and motioned for her to give him the bag.

            "No." Hotaru blinked. "Why?"

            "Then s-s-stop it. You're making me nervous by doing that." Yaten opened the bag. 

            "O-of course." Hotaru wanted to hit herself. Of course she had put herself in this situation to begin with so she couldn't blame this one on anyone, not even Setsuna.

            "Wear this." Yaten threw her the simple white nightgown she wore every night. "Stand in front of the window." He went separating things and getting his canvas ready. When he finally looked back up, he saw Hotaru standing there holding the nightgown. "What are you doing?"

            "Um, I was actually wondering…if you could leave the room." Hotaru blushed a little. Yaten sighed, sounding rather annoyed. He got up and left the room. Hotaru started to dress quickly, the whole time berating herself about appearing so stupid.

            He knocked on the door and asked if she was done yet. She let him back in, apologizing and wringing her hands before he told her to stop it. After she stood in front of the window, Yaten had posed her, his hands moved to put her face in just the right position. He kept leaning back and surveying her before making a few corrections. Finally she seemed to be just right because he went back to his easel. 

            "Try not to move too much, I hate it when the models do that." Yaten told her before starting. It was a little on the boring side in Hotaru's opinion. She was just standing there and she couldn't move a muscle so it was a little hard. 

            After awhile, she decided to try and make some conversation, hoping that he wouldn't get too annoyed with it. 

            "That's a pretty painting." She nodded her head towards the painting on the wall behind him. He turned to look at it for half a second. "Who is that?" The painting featured a red-haired girl with dark-red eyes. 

            "Kakyuu." Yaten answered shortly. 

            "Are you two friends?" Hotaru inquired curiously.

            "I guess." Yaten didn't sound all that thrilled by it. "I should just give the painting to Seiya, I don't really like it." 

            "Why don't you like it?" Hotaru questioned. 

            "Look at her eyes. She looks sad doesn't she?" Yaten looked up at Hotaru who was surveying the painting. "That's the problem. When we last saw her, that's how she looked. There was nothing I could do about it. The only one who could didn't, because he's a coward." 

            "She doesn't live around here?" Hotaru glanced at Yaten's contemplative green eyes. 

            "She lives very far away." Yaten sounded very mysterious. "And I don't really want to talk about her. It's her own fault she's unhappy." 

            "Sorry." Hotaru glanced down at her hands. "I…I didn't know…" 

            "Of course you didn't." Yaten muttered as he painted. "So don't apologize like that. If you always apologize, what good are they when you really need them?"

            "I…guess I never really thought of that before." Hotaru admitted. "But then I've never really done anything really bad that I had to apologize for."

            "That's because you're a pure soul." Yaten stopped painting and looked directly into her lavender eyes. "People like you don't know regrets. You're the reason others have regrets." 

            "I am?" Hotaru blinked. 

            "Once you meet a beautiful soul, all you want to do is to be just like them." Yaten's eyes lowered back down to his painting. "Thus regrets are born." Hotaru's cheeks went pink and she tried not to look too embarrassed. 

            _He seems so rude…_

_            And yet…_

_            That's one of the nicest things I've ever been told. _

_            But I'm not a beautiful soul. I'm the Soldier of Destruction. Death. Decay. _

_            People fear me. I can't be…_

"Maybe you just can't see my regrets." Hotaru murmured. "I don't think there's anyone who doesn't know what it's like. That's kind of why we live I suppose." 

She realized that Yaten was no longer painting but staring at her as if he had just seen something he had never seen before. 

            "There's not a way to make you keep that light in your eyes." Yaten said in a slightly awed voice. "But let me capture it before it goes away." 

            _Let me capture you…_

_            Before you flit away like the firefly that you are. _

-------------------------

            _It's just a card Minako. It's just a card._

_            But he was there! He was! _

_            That's impossible. He's dead. You saw him die. _

_            You killed him._

Minako flipped over on her bed and rested the back of her hand against her forehead as she stared at the object her other hand held out in front of her. How many times had she seen it? How many more times would it appear in her life?

            _He kissed her cheek, his lips resting on her skin for only a moment. Then he pulled away and looked directly into her eyes._

_            "I ask of you earnestly, don't be unfaithful."_

_            But you lied to me. _

_            And that wasn't my fate. But why the curse? Did you really hate me that much in that moment? That moment when you revealed who you really were? And as you died…you never looked so cold…_

_            "I'll tell you your final love fortune…"_

_            "Your love will be hopeless for all eternity." _

"Why are you haunting me?" Minako asked the card. It said nothing. Artemis jumped up on her bed and curled up beside me. 

            "If he is back, there's no telling whether he's still working for the Dark Agency or not." Artemis reminded her. "Remember they revealed they were part of the Dark Kingdom."

            "He isn't back." Minako felt tears stinging her eyes. "He just can't be." 

            "It _is _possible." Artemis tried to be logical. "The cards, the behavior, it seems like him. And the Dark Kingdom has proven it can bring the dead back to life. Like at the Shittenou." 

            "Don't talk about that right now." Minako closed her eyes painfully. "I'm the only one who remembers the Silver Millennium and I'm so sick of thinking about it."

            "The others will know soon." Artemis nudged her arm with his nose. "In the meantime, you should be on the alert." 

            "I will." Minako turned towards the window. 

            _Kaitou Ace…are you really back from the dead?_

_-------------------------_

            "Now that you guys are together, it better stay that way." Motoki told Mamoru and Usagi. "It took way too long to accomplish." 

            "Just give me my order milkshake slave." Mamoru ordered and Usagi giggled.

            "I've been reduced to 'milkshake slave'?" Motoki scratched the back of his head. "Great." 

            "Mamoru didn't mean it like that." Usagi smiled brightly. Then she glanced at the window and saw that Seiya was walking by. 

            _I should go talk to him. _

_            After all…_

_            We haven't spoken since the beach party. _

"I'll be back in a minute." Usagi excused herself. Mamoru and Motoki looked up in surprise. 

            "But I just finished your milkshake." Motoki pointed to the large glass he was holding. 

            "In a minute." Usagi waved it away and was out the door. 

            "Did Usagi just postpone food?" Motoki asked the dark-haired young man next to him. Mamoru seemed just as stunned as he was. Usagi immediately ran towards Seiya who hadn't seemed to notice her at all. 

            "Seiya-kun!" Usagi yelled as she ran towards him. He turned around just in time to see Usagi trip and fall flat on her face. 

            "Usagi-chan?" His voice sounded like he was trying to cover up sadness with cheerfulness. "You looked like you hurt yourself." 

            "No, I'm fine." Usagi got up. "I'm used to falling." 

            "Oh." Seiya started to turn away. "Well…um…"

            "I just wanted to say," Seiya turned as Usagi started to speak. She couldn't quite meet his eye. She suddenly bowed, putting her hands on her legs. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't…love you the way you wanted me to."

            "I…" His throat was dry. Had he really expected an apology? "Its okay, Usagi-chan." 

            _"Seiya?" Her dark red eyes looked at him, full of tears that she was trying to hold back. "Seiya…please understand…"_

_            What was there to understand? _

_            You were getting married. To another man. _

_            Did you think I can accept it? _

_            And it happened again. _

_            Am I not enough? _

"I just know that it must have been so horrible for you." Usagi was still bowed. "I feel so awful about it. But I don't know what else to do. I love you like a friend Seiya. And we'll always be friends if you'd like. But there's only one person I can be in love with." 

            "Stand up Usagi-chan." Seiya told her softly. "It's my fault for being a fool to think someone like you could fall in love with someone like me." 

            "You deserve to be loved!" Usagi stood up and Seiya was shocked to see there were tears in her eyes. "And somewhere, someone does love you the way you deserve! I know it!" 

            Seiya found himself stepping forward and nearly crushing Usagi in a hug. She was so sweet and innocent. So bright-eyed. How can one person be like this? Mamoru may not realize just how lucky he was. 

            "Thank you, Usagi-chan." He whispered. 

            _For you, I could never be enough. _

_            I'll hope that Mamoru is. That's what you deserve. _

-------------------------

            Omigod, that took freaking forever. I would stare at this chapter. Then I would play Typer Shark. Then my Typer Shark free trial ran out. So I wrote a Somewhere Out There update. Then I was like, "Goddammit, I'm writing this update right freaking now." So…ta da! __


	12. Kenji, Be Nice

Hey you guys! I'm back! Back to write yet another chapter! Some of you were concerned that it was my last chapter last time. ?? I don't know where you got that idea but no, it's not true. I've got many chapters to go before this is over. Like I said, it's not a first season fanfic 'til someone gets brainwashed.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Warnings: Kind of fluffy. But there's a point to it.

Close Your Eyes (I'm so tired I wrote 'Second Chances'.)

Chapter Eleven

_I miss you…forgive me…_

She squeezed her eyes shut, tears coming out like water as she tried to shut everything else out. She didn't want to think about everything she had done up to this moment. She didn't want to think about all the things she had left behind.

_Selfish…childish…so many names they've called me already. _

_ And it's true. _

_ But I can't do this anymore. _

_ Some things…I cannot fake…I'm here…_

_ Please…please…don't look at me with those eyes again. _

_ I can't forgive myself when you do. _

---------------------

"How's dinner going?" Usagi came into the kitchen where her mother was cooking dinner. "It smells sooo good! I'm hungry!"

"You'll have to wait." Ikuko smiled at her daughter's antics. "You know that."

"I know." Usagi sighed. "When's he going to be here?"

"Probably when you asked him to be." Ikuko looked at the clock. "It's almost seven o' clock."

"I've been waiting all day." Usagi looked miserable as she propped her head against her chin. "Is otou-san really okay with it?"

"I'm sure your father would much rather know the boy you're dating then have you dating some stranger." Ikuko spoke comfortingly. "I can't wait to meet this Mamoru that I've heard so much about."

"He's really nice okaa-san!" Usagi said for the thousandth time. "There were times when I didn't think so but that was before…" She blushed.

"I'm sure he is." Ikuko couldn't help smiling at her daughter's obvious feelings for the boy. "You haven't changed yet."

"Oh no!" Usagi ran out of the room and up the stairs. A few minutes later she came back down in a cute white sundress that came down to her knees. She was happily skipping when the doorbell rang.

She rushed towards it and stopped before to smooth her dress and pat her hair. Then she reached out and opened the door. Mamoru was standing there looking a little embarrassed and holding a bouquet of yellow roses.

"Mamoru!" Usagi exclaimed happily and gave him a hug. "Are those for me?"

"Actually, they're for your mom." Mamoru told her. "You know, sort of a present for letting me come over for dinner."

"Awww…that's so sweet." Usagi looked at him dreamily. "Come in, come in!" Mamoru came in and after taking off his shoes, they went into the living room where Shingo was playing video games.

"Is that guy you've been gushing over all day here yet?" Shingo asked, obviously having sensed another presence in the room but not taking his eyes off the screen. Usagi's face reddened as she got mad.

"I have not been gushing!" Usagi protested and threw a pillow at the back of Shingo's head. He messed up on his game and ended up losing.

"USAGI!" Shingo turned around, throwing the pillow without really looking. It hit Mamoru in the face. Shingo looked mortified when he realized he had hit someone else.

"Shingo!" Usagi put her hands on her hips. "Look what you did!"

"You started it!" Shingo stuck his tongue out. Mamoru started laughing and the two of them stopped to stare at him.

"He's just like you." Mamoru finally got out.

"I'm nothing like him!" Usagi insisted.

"I'm nothing like her!" Shingo spat out at the same time.

"Here's your pillow." Mamoru handed it to Usagi who blushed and put it on the couch. "You must be Usagi's little brother."

"Yeah." Shingo eyed him suspiciously. "Who's this dork?"

"_This_ is Chiba Mamoru." Usagi introduced him, practically hissing through her teeth. "He's our guest!"

"Oh, so you're the guy she's been gushing over all day." Shingo looked at him curiously and then moved closer before holding out his hand. "I'm Usagi's younger brother, Shingo."

"It's nice to meet you Shingo." Mamoru shook the younger boy's hand.

"My sister's a walking disaster area and she's not very smart." Shingo went on. "But you can date her if you want."

"SHINGO!" Usagi screeched indignantly. Mamoru laughed once more and reached out to give her hand a comforting squeeze.

"Do you have any sisters?" Shingo asked Mamoru.

"No, I don't." Mamoru replied.

"You got off lucky." Shingo blew his bangs out of his eyes. Usagi looked like she might explode any moment. "Do you play video games?"

"I've never really tried." Mamoru admitted.

"You've never played video games before?" Shingo looked scandalized. Then he got a superior look. "That's okay, I can teach you."

"Usagi? Is your friend here?" Ikuko called out from the kitchen.

"Yes!" Usagi called back. "Come on Mamoru, come meet my mom." Then went from the living room into the kitchen where Ikuko was still cooking. She stopped immediately when she saw Mamoru.

"I'm Usagi's mother; you can call me Ikuko if you want to." Ikuko gave him a welcoming smile.

"I'm Chiba Mamoru; I'm very pleased to meet you." Mamoru bowed a little and then held out the flowers. "I brought these for you." Ikuko flushed with delight. "I can see where Usagi gets all her good looks." He smiled charmingly.

"Oh these are too beautiful!" Ikuko giggled. "What a gentleman! Usagi, you've found a very good man, I can already tell." Then she took the flowers and went about putting them in a vase. Usagi and Mamoru were both red. "It's going to be a little while before dinner's ready. Usagi, if you could just set the table? And Mamoru, why don't you sit in the living room with Shingo?"

"He promised to teach me how to play video games." Mamoru nodded his head. "I don't want to get in the way of what I'm sure is going to be a delicious meal." Ikuko got a small pleased smile on her face. As soon as Mamoru had been ushered out into the living room she turned towards Usagi.

"He's a keeper Usagi." Ikuko told her daughter outright. "What a charming young man!"

"I'm glad you like him okaa-san." Usagi smiled brightly.

"Your father is going to love him." Ikuko put a hand on her heart. "Just you wait."

"I don't know…" Usagi bit her lip. "Otou-san is a little weird sometimes about stuff like that…"

"Don't you worry. All fathers are over-protective." Ikuko remembered her own over-protective father.

"Okay." Usagi nodded and then got to work setting the table. It wasn't long before she was done and then a few minutes later, so was her mother so Usagi went to the living room to get Mamoru and Shingo while Ikuko went to bring her husband to the table.

As she was about to go in, she stopped to watch the two.

"No, no, you've got to accelerate around the corners." Shingo showed Mamoru on his controller. "See? Otherwise you'll lose 'em."

"I see." Mamoru went to do just that on the video game and ended up crashing his car. "Whoops. I'm afraid I'm not very good."

"That's okay; I think you just need practice." Shingo told him wisely. "One more time, okay?"

"Alright." Mamoru agreed.

"It'll have to wait." Usagi came into the room. "We're having dinner now."

"Oh man!" Shingo seemed disappointed. "You should see this guy Usagi, he sucks at this game."

"I only ever play that crane game at the arcade and it's not that often." Mamoru rubbed his nose cutely and Usagi smiled fondly. "Let's eat." The three went into the kitchen to have a peaceful meal.

--------------------

Well, they wanted a peaceful meal but Kenji seemed dead set against it. He was sitting there, glaring at Mamoru who had politely introduced himself. Ikuko kept glaring at Kenji and changing to give Mamoru reassuring looks.

"So…what do you think you'll choose as a career?" Kenji fired the question at Mamoru who quickly tried to answer.

"I'm studying to be a doctor. But I'm not positive." Mamoru answered truthfully. "A lot of other fields interest me as well."

"A doctor…" Kenji seemed to approve of this.

"That sounds wonderful." Ikuko nodded happily. "Does it taste alright Mamoru?"

"It's delicious." Mamoru seemed to relax a little. "Best I've ever had."

"Oh that can't be true." Ikuko was pink with pleasure. "I'm sure your own mother is a much better cook." Usagi glanced at Mamoru seriously. She hadn't told her parents that Mamoru was an orphan. Truthfully she hadn't told anyone. Mamoru didn't say anything, he just continued to eat.

"What do your parents do?" Kenji asked as he shot Mamoru another deadly look. Mamoru choked on his rice.

"I…don't have parents." Mamoru finally answered, looking down at his plate. Usagi patted his arm with her hand.

"Oh that's terrible!" Ikuko put a hand to her chest.

"Mamoru's an orphan. His parents died in a car crash when he was very little." Usagi explained helpfully.

"How awful for you Mamoru." Ikuko was gazing at the young man with sympathetic eyes.

"It's okay." Mamoru gave her a smile. "I was diagnosed with amnesia; I don't have any memories before I woke up from the crash so I don't remember them at all."

"I still can't imagine how that must have been for you." Ikuko sent a look towards Kenji who was looking a little uncomfortable as he was the one who had brought the whole thing up.

"Well…what are you intentions towards my daughter?" Kenji changed the subject quickly.

"Otou-san!" Usagi looked at him with wide blue eyes.

"Kenji, really." Ikuko sent her husband a look.

"What?" Kenji asked, looking as though the whole world was against him. "I was just asking, and as a father, it's my right to ask."

"My intentions towards your daughter?" Mamoru looked Kenji square in the eyes. "I intend to love her." Usagi felt her breathe catch and her heart fluttered a little.

_He intends to love me!_

_ But what happens…when the princess comes?_

_ Will she take you away from me? _

_ And will you say the same thing about her?_

"That's good then." Kenji's mouth was set in a firm line. "I think Usagi's too young for—"

"KENJI!" Ikuko slammed a hand down on the table, effectively cutting him off. "Kitchen. Now."

The two went into the kitchen and the sounds of Ikuko scolding Kenji came through to the kitchen. Shingo, Usagi, and Mamoru were looking at each other with perplexed expressions.

"I'm so glad she's not mad at me." Shingo said and the others agreed. The two came back in and Kenji seemed subdued and quietly ate his dinner. Ikuko looked very prim and proper. She gathered up the dishes and then got dessert.

"Why don't you take your desserts outside? It's such a nice evening." Ikuko suggested to Mamoru and Usagi.

"Okay." Usagi and Mamoru got up and took their desserts outside where they sat on the porch swing with their lemon meringue pie.

It was a nice evening, the sun was setting in the distance and the sky was a swirl of colors as it went down. The wind blew a light breeze and Usagi thought it was probably the nicest day they'd have for awhile.

She ate but as she did, she felt weighed down by thinking about the princess and her and Mamoru.

_Mamoru said he'd love you for now…but he doesn't know what's going to happen when the princess comes…_

_ I don't want him to leave me…_

_ Why am I thinking about this now? I should just enjoy this…while it lasts…_

"What are you thinking about?" Mamoru asked her.

"Oh…nothing…it's silly." Usagi played with her fork.

"Tell me." Mamoru prompted her.

"I was just thinking about what would happen when the princess comes…" Usagi admitted. "I think, 'Will this last?'"

"Usagi…" Mamoru reached out towards her. She bowed her head. "Someone told me that you can't predict the future. Things don't always end up perfect. The princess…you know I don't have any answers that can help. We don't know what will happen."

"I'm sorry." Usagi looked downcast. "I shouldn't have brought it up. I want you to be happy…maybe if you're happy enough you won't leave me no matter what." She heard the clatter of his plate as he suddenly grabbed hold of her and held her tightly against him. "Mamoru!"

"Do you think I'll be happy without you?" Mamoru whispered seriously. "Do you think…Usagi…I don't deserve you in my life. I don't deserve to have you love me. Usako…"

"Usako…?" Usagi looked up at him. His midnight blue eyes twinkled as they looked into her.

"It's just…I guess…" Mamoru blushed a little. "Do you mind?"

"I like it." Usagi tilted her chin towards him. "Now I have to think of a nickname for you."

"You don't have to…" Mamoru trailed off.

"No, it'll be our special thing." Usagi told him. "No matter what happens." He leaned down, about to kiss her when she suddenly burst out with, "Mamo-chan!" He pulled back a little surprised. "That's cute, isn't it?"

"Usako…" Mamoru shook his head a little with a smile. "If you want to call me that, then I like it."

"I'm glad." Usagi stated. "Now, are you going to kiss me?"

"I was thinking about it." Mamoru bent down to deliver the kiss. The sun had almost completely set as their lips touched, enjoying the moment together.

_I can't be happy without you. _

------------------------

"Okay." Yaten set down his paintbrush. "I'm almost done. You can sit down if you want."

"My feet were starting to hurt." Hotaru admitted and sat down sheepishly. "Can I see?"

"No." Yaten shook his head. "Not until it's finished."

"Alright." Hotaru stretched her arms. Yaten yawned and then rubbed his eyes wearily. He hadn't gotten much sleep the past few nights as he had stayed up late working. Taiki had commented on his renewed inspiration. Taiki didn't know about Hotaru, no one in the house did and he preferred to keep it that way.

"I'm tired." Yaten said out loud before getting up and falling down on his bed.

"I'll um…" Hotaru stood up and started to walk passed the bed. "If you're tired, I should probably leave so you can sleep…"

A hand reached up, grabbing hold of her wrist and pulling sharply. Hotaru fell backwards onto the bed. Her whole body stiffened as Yaten's arms wrapped around her.

"I want to hold onto something…" He murmured in her ear. "Let me hold onto you." Hotaru's breath caught in her throat and she couldn't do anything. Yaten's arms were so warm…

_Why…?_

_ Why are you holding onto me?_

He seemed to fall asleep but Hotaru felt like she couldn't possibly ever sleep like this. She didn't want to get up because if she did, he'd wake up and she didn't want Yaten to get mad at her. Now that he'd really get mad, but he'd be annoyed with her.

_It seems like I'm only a half-step above the models he usually uses. _

_ "At least you're not air-headed like the other models…"_

_ Do you hold onto them too?_

She tried to shake these thoughts from her head and as she did so, she found herself feeling a little sleepy. And before she knew it, she was waking up again but the light had changed by now.

"Oh no!" Hotaru sat up quickly.

"What?" Yaten sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes with his hands.

"I should be home by now! Setsuna will wonder where I am." Hotaru got up off the bed.

"I'll walk you home." Yaten started to get up off his bed.

"No, I…" Hotaru felt like she'd go red if she looked at him. "I'll be fine."

"I'm already up." Yaten put his shoes on and Hotaru didn't really have a choice in the matter. Yaten led her through the mostly dark house. As they passed two other doors, there were lights coming from under the doors.

"Are your cousins home?" Hotaru asked him quietly.

"My _cousins_?" Yaten looked at her in bewilderment. "Oh…them. I guess." They walked out of the house and then out onto the sidewalk that Hotaru had come by every Wednesday.

They walked along for a little while before Yaten spoke.

"So you live with your aunt?" Yaten questioned.

"Yes." Hotaru lied. She felt bad that she couldn't tell the truth but the explanation behind Setsuna and her was too much involved with them being Sailor Senshi.

"And she doesn't know where you go on Wednesdays?" Yaten inquired.

"No." Hotaru hung her head. "I didn't really think to tell her and…Setsuna…well, anyways…I might be moving away soon."

"What?" Yaten stopped walking completely to stare at her. "What do you mean moving?" He asked sharply.

"My aunt…she travels a lot." Hotaru tried her best to sound like she was telling the truth. "She was here for something but we'll probably be leaving now that it's done."

"When?" Yaten asked in a demanding tone.

"I don't know." Hotaru shrugged. She was surprised they hadn't left yet. Setsuna seemed to be waiting for something and Hotaru had no idea what that was.

"You can't leave." Yaten spoke quickly and from the look on his face, he hadn't meant to say that. "At least, not until I'm done painting you."

"I'm sure you can find a prettier model then me if I leave." Hotaru looked down at the pavement. "Then you can paint beautiful pictures." Yaten still hadn't started walking.

"I _am _painting beautiful pictures." Yaten snapped at her. "What do you think I've been doing all this time?"

"I-I didn't mean…" Hotaru instantly felt bad.

"Am I that bad?" Yaten's eyes were so intense that Hotaru didn't know how to respond. "Is it that bad to be around me?!"

"No! That's not what I meant!" Hotaru couldn't help it as she began to tear up. She couldn't start crying. "I'm…sorry…I…" A tear overflowed down her cheek, followed by another.

"A woman's tears are so ugly." Yaten declared and began walking again. Hotaru looked up at his back. He stopped and turned towards her. "Aren't you coming?" She stared at him and then nodded slowly. "Don't waste tears on me."

"I didn't--!" Hotaru didn't know what she was going to say in response to this but she was going to think of something until Yaten suddenly whirled around. Then she stopped. "What is it?" She looked around curiously.

"Olive blossoms…" Yaten murmured and she looked at him curiously. "I could have sworn I smelt…"

"I don't smell anything." Hotaru sniffed at the air.

"It's gone now." Yaten looked off into the darkness. "I need to go shopping tomorrow, will you come with me?"

"Um, alright." Hotaru agreed, surprised by the quick change of subject. "If my aunt says it's alright." It seemed as of late she was spending a lot of time with Yaten. He seemed to want to take her along on every errand he went on. The exhibit where his paintings were going to be shown was going to be soon. She hoped he'd finish all his paintings by then.

_But…well, all this business that Setsuna had is obviously taken care of so we'll be going home soon. _

_ I've gotten used to being around Yaten. It's strange to leave now._

_ I wonder why we're still here. _

----------------------------

It's so good to be updating! Yah for Jade! She's responsible some of the time. . Glass bottled cokes are superior to non-glass bottled cokes. I shall never drink soda out of a can or plastic bottle again! (This is what I'll say when I'm famous and have lots of money to spend on nothing but the superior glass bottled sodas of the world.) Please review!!!


	13. What's With The Olive Blossoms?

Welcome back my friends. Why is this story always the last one to get updated? You know, I have no idea, but that's life. I have Inuyasha to watch after this so let's make it quick shall we? (Which means like three or four hours as opposed to long ass time on The Evening of the Moon update that I finally freaking finished.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Warnings: Maybe some cussing, angst. There's always angst.

Close Your Eyes

Chapter Twelve

Taiki rounded the corner on his way home from the grocery store. It had been a short trip and he wanted to go home and make dinner. Today he could have sworn he saw Yaten walking with someone but he decided he had just imagined it.

_Maybe he's found a muse…_

His friend's new found inspiration kept him up very late at night. Taiki kept coming in to see that Yaten was painting. Yaten wouldn't let him see any of his creations so Taiki didn't know what it was that had inspired him.

As he was walking, a delicious scent that at first he didn't recognize drifted through the air. Then he recognized it.

_Olive blossoms!_

He turned around, his heart pounding in his chest. But he saw no one. Was it even possible?

_Don't day dream, Kakyuu is on Kinmokusei, it was probably someone who bought some olive blossoms. It might not have even been olive blossoms, just something that smelled like them._

Even though he rationally told himself these things, he wasn't so sure. He didn't think he could mistake that scent.

_I wonder if maybe I'm homesick…_

Taiki did miss Kinmokusei a great deal. Earth was nice but there was too much gray cement everywhere. Not the nice cobblestone streets that they had on Kinmokusei. Not the thousands of olive trees everywhere. Even though there were many buildings, they were always crowded around by the trees.

He remembered the royal palace and Kakyuu staring out into the forest of olive trees with a dreamy look on her face.

_"You could get lost in those trees…and no one would ever find you…"_

Taiki tried to think of other things. But he knew that it would still be awhile before they returned to Kinmokusei, things were said that shouldn't have been said and Seiya and Yaten were the only ones who spoke out. He had learned to accept whatever came in life.

_"She's unhappy because she can't stand up for herself. It's her own fault." _

Yaten always blamed people for bad things happening. And even though Yaten pretended not to like Seiya, Taiki knew that Yaten had blamed _her _because blaming Seiya was a bit too painful.

_"It doesn't matter…she'll have her prince…they'll be married. And live happily ever after." _

And Seiya with that heartbroken look on his face. Finally he had to just leave. He had to get away from the hurt.

_"Taiki…take care of him." _

That's just what he had been trying to do. Trying to take care of Seiya because she couldn't. He kept walking towards home. It wasn't his real home but his real home was far away. He would have to live with the fact that this was his new home.

-----------------------

"Here." Yaten handed Hotaru. It was another Wednesday; they had been going by so fast. Of course it had gotten to be that Yaten saw Hotaru every day. He always seemed to want to know if she could help him do something or if she wanted to go for a walk or just about anything he could come up with.

Hotaru took the picture and saw that it was her, shadowed in the shadows wearing a large black hood and in her hand, a ghostly silver scythe. She stared at the picture sadly. A tear fell. Then another.

"Is it really that bad?" Yaten asked.

"No…it's pretty but…" Hotaru looked at him. "Never mind."

"It's yours. You can keep that one." Yaten told her. "The exhibition, it's Saturday. You can come if you want. I'll give you a ride."

"Okay." Hotaru agreed slowly. "Yaten?"

"Yeah?" Yaten raised his silver eyebrows.

"Is this what you see when you look at me?" Hotaru questioned him.

"No." Yaten replied. "At the exhibition, I'll show you what I see."

--------------------------

Hotaru smoothed her dress, the only dress she owned, a black one that Setsuna had bought her on a whim a week ago. She wore her glasses because she couldn't imagine going without them.

_I'm so nervous…why am I so nervous?_

Setsuna was not at the apartment; Hotaru had no idea where she was. She was glad though. She didn't to answer any of Setsuna's questions.

Yaten came in a limo which shocked Hotaru. She had never been in one in her life. Apparently it had been sent special to him from his art dealer who was so excited about the new exhibit that he had to treat Yaten.

Hotaru stared at the large car and felt even more nervous. She thought she might throw up, which would not be a good thing. They arrived at the museum and Hotaru was again amazed by how fancy everything looked.

_Here we go…_

They went inside and Yaten immediately got swooped up by his art dealer. Hotaru was left standing by herself. Yaten sort of waved at her as he left. She decided to go look at the paintings. The centerpiece of the exhibit was a large painting that everyone was gathered around.

The painting had a beautiful woman with purple eyes and dark hair in it. A pair of delicate wings behind her, spread out impressively. Her hands were clasped together but she had determination and strength to her. All around her were fireflies.

The title of the painting on the plaque was 'Vision of Fireflies'.

"This is the one." Yaten gestured towards the painting that Hotaru was staring at.

"The one?" Hotaru turned towards him in confusion.

"This is how I see you." Yaten told her. Hotaru felt her heart begin to pound.

_He doesn't mean that…_

_ Come on Hotaru._

"You don't have to tease me. Where's the real one of how you see me?" Hotaru pushed up her glasses. "She's so beautiful though."

"I'm not teasing you." Yaten looked uncomfortable. "I'm—"

"Who's your friend Yaten?" A brown-haired young man with a long ponytail and purple eyes asked. He focused on her then moved his eyes to the painting. "You must be the model!"

"This is Tomoe Hotaru." Yaten introduced her, knowing that otherwise Taiki would be forced to hear a stuttered response.

"We met on the beach didn't we?" Taiki shook her hand.

"Yes." Hotaru nodded.

"You must have made quite the impression on Yaten, he doesn't ever use models." Taiki sounded impressed.

_What? Of course he uses other models! He said so himself._

_ "Don't fidget, the other models are like that and I can't work." _

_ "At least you're not air-headed like the other models."_

"Of course he does Kou-san." Hotaru smiled. "He always complains about them."

"Does he?" Taiki raised an eyebrow at Yaten. The two shared a look that Hotaru didn't understand. "Well then…you've done some excellent work Yaten."

"Don't tell me Seiya's here too." Yaten's voice hinted at a whine.

"No, actually…" Taiki trailed off. "He's been in somewhat of a mood since…"

"Since that twit decided she didn't like him." Yaten finished for him. Hotaru blinked. Was he talking about Usagi? Usagi may not be as intelligent as some people but she wasn't a twit. Of course technically she didn't know Usagi that well.

_In this lifetime._

_ But she was a good princess._

"The other day, something odd happened to me." Taiki leaned in. "I thought I smelled olive blossoms."

"Olive blossoms?" Hotaru was confused.

"That happened to me too." Yaten nodded his head. "But maybe we should talk about this later." He glanced over at Hotaru who had no idea what was going on.

"Of course, must have lost my head there for a moment. Well it was very nice meeting you Tomoe-san." Taiki bowed towards her. "I'll see you around."

"Yes, it was nice meeting you too." Hotaru bowed towards him.

_Olive blossoms? _

_ What in the world…?_

------------------------

She concentrated on the leaping flames in front of her. She saw many things. Minako holding an Ace of Hearts and the flash of a blonde haired young man saying his dying words.

_"Your love will be hopeless for all eternity." _

She saw Usagi and knew she was a little unhappy but trying not to think about it. Ami was reading a book and kept glancing out the window. Makoto was baking.

_ Then why do I have this feeling?_

_ This ominous feeling…_

Rei took a deep breath as she opened her eyes. The flames were still dancing before her. But she saw nothing.

She had woken up a feeling in her stomach. Something was going to happen. She didn't know if it was good or bad. But something was just around the corner. Something that would change everything.

_Will the princess finally reveal herself? _

_ And what will follow when she does?_

--------------------------

Okay, I swear next chapter some stuff will happen, so don't hate me. I know the chapter was a little short. But thanks for the reviews!


	14. I Bet You're All Shocked

I swear something is happening this chapter! Don't hate me! Haha, just kidding, you guys have been cool with the lack of action. (Even though it was piss me off.) But never fear! For stuff is about to happen!

Note: Rei uses her ofuda in here with the phrase 'Akuryo taisan' which is 'evil spirit begone.' Which I'm sure all of you knew and are annoyed with me for even bringing it up.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Codename wa Sailor V. (It occurred to me I should really be putting that in the disclaimer, considering all those aces…)

Warnings: Angstariffic (My spell check hates me.)

Close Your Eyes

Chapter Thirteen

The streets were dark, even the street lights couldn't really light up this night. It felt so dark and cold. Rei turned her head, feeling the wind go through her hair, tonight was the night. She kept quiet but she wondered if the others could feel it too. They had heard about an attack and were going towards it.

They were already transformed, Sailor Moon leading the bunch. Usagi looked strangely determined as though she knew that tonight was going to be very different from the usual youma attack.

The monster was not a monster, but what appeared to be a man with silver hair. Kunzite, the last general of the Dark Kingdom. Rei looked at Minako's slightly narrowed blue eyes.

"So you have finally decided to join us." Kunzite raised his eyebrows at them. "Tonight is the night you finally die."

"That's where you're wrong!" Sailor Moon struck her pose. "I am a pretty soldier in a sailor-suit, Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"And we'll help." Sailor Jupiter muttered under her breath and Rei almost laughed at it.

Kunzite didn't waste anymore time with talk, just threw a blade of silver energy at them. Sailor Moon wailed as she threw herself out of the way. Sailor Venus stepped forward, even in front of Sailor Moon.

"Crescent BEAM!" She yelled, and the shot of light whizzed past Kunzite's shoulder. Rei didn't like that at all. She glanced over at Sailor Mercury who was furiously typing into her computer as her visor analyzed the enemy.

"There's some sort of force field around him!" Sailor Mercury informed them. "I don't know how to get past it."

"Well, I know one trick that usually works." Sailor Mars pulled out an ofuda. "Akuryo TAISAN!" The ofuda hit Kunzite but didn't do anything at all. He reached over, pulled it off of him, and then proceeded to tear it in half.

"Didn't work this time." Sailor Jupiter pointed out.

"Worth a shot." Sailor Mars defended herself. "No one said that Shinto was the universal truth."

"True." Sailor Jupiter agreed. "Hey, Mercury, your computer have anything yet?"

"Not quite yet." Sailor Mercury bit her lip. "The computer is making it appear that he's surrounded by energy from another dimension."

"…Damn." Sailor Jupiter swore. "So, Plan B then?"

"What's Plan B?" Sailor Moon asked.

"Just attack him until something gives." Sailor Jupiter cracked her knuckles. "Supreme Thunder!"

This too was deflected and then Kunzite sent several more blades of silver energy slicing through the air towards them. Rei received a cute on her leg from throwing Sailor Moon out of the way.

"You are very boring for Sailor Senshi." Kunzite taunted them. "Don't any of you have any real attacks?"

"Moon Tiara Action!" Sailor Moon had thrown her tiara but it only went around Kunzite and back into her hand. She seemed confused by this because this attack was usually the answer they were looking for.

"That's it?" Kunzite formed another two blades of energy and threw them. "These won't be so easy to get rid of!" Sailor Moon ducked one of them but it came straight back to her and the other one seemed dead set on attacking her as well.

"We've got to get them to stop!" Sailor Venus shouted.

"But how?" Sailor Mars was trying to run alongside Sailor Moon to help her duck.

"Maybe we can use them against Kunzite!" Sailor Mercury suggested as they were now all running. "We could somehow use the weapon against him."

"Great idea Mercury, now how do you propose we do it?" Sailor Jupiter asked her as they ran.

"We could oomph!" Sailor Mercury had tripped while running and unfortunately knocked into Sailor Jupiter who went crashing down as well.

"Crescent Beam!" Sailor Venus fired another shot of light but towards one of the blades of energy. It didn't do anything to it, something Sailor Venus wasn't expecting and she had to duck as quickly as possible to avoid it.

"Sailor Moon! Stop running!" Sailor Mars yelled. "Run in this direction at least!"

"I can't!" Sailor Moon yelled over her shoulder as she ran from the blades. She did a classic Sailor Moon maneuver and tripped, falling flat on her face. She was about to get hit with both blades at once when something happened.

Someone grabbed her and jumped out of the way just in time and the blades hit each other and disappeared in a flash.

Tuxedo Kamen was standing there, holding Sailor Moon in his arms.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Sailor Moon was obviously delighted and hugged him quickly.

"Good of you to join us." Kunzite snapped his fingers and the tree branch broke that was Tuxedo Kamen was standing on. He quickly leapt from it to the ground. "I think we'll put an end to your roses." Tuxedo Kamen put Sailor Moon down and pulled out his cane. It extended to hit Kunzite but Kunzite batted it away and threw a blast of energy towards Tuxedo Kamen.

Who was too stunned to dodge.

The power ripped through him and everyone's faces went from determination to shocked horror. Tuxedo Kamen had just been hit.

Sailor Moon cried out and rushed to him as he fell. Blood was rushing from the wound, quickly staining his white shirt as she began crying. Kunzite was just watching, a horrible smirk on his face.

Sailor Mars rushed to be at Sailor Moon's side but suddenly, she had to stop. There was a strange twinkling white light that began to emanate from Sailor Moon as she continued to cry over Tuxedo Kamen.

And then her crying stopped as she noticed the twinkling. Something was forming, something right there in front of her.

"Omigod…" Minako trailed off in breathless disbelief.

"What is it…?" Sailor Mercury stopped typing on her computer and touched her earring, making her visor disappear to see better. "What's that light?"

"What is that?!" Kunzite looked like he had been caught off guard. Sailor Moon reached out as though mesmerized by the light forming in front of her. When her hand touched the ball of light, a flash swept through them all.

_"Princess!" There was a castle, fallen but once so beautiful that all had bowed before it. _

_ And a princess, dead by her own hand. _

_ A fallen prince. _

Sailor Moon was remembering things that had never happened to her. A palace she had never seen, a dress she had never worn, and a young man, a young man she knew so well but by a different name.

"Endymion…" She spoke the name and it felt so familiar. She took hold of the small ball of light and it felt like some wonderful feeling had past over her as the change came over. She was suddenly clad in a beautiful white dress and the light that had been shining too brightly to make anything else out had faded a little and she saw she was holding a beautiful jewel.

"The Ginzuishou!" Sailor Venus exclaimed. "Princess Serenity!"

Because that's who she was. That's who she really was. The princess was _her_. She turned her attention to Tuxedo Kamen who was staring at her with his large blue eyes, trying to express what he was feeling as he choked.

"Usako…you found it…the Ginzuishou…" Mamoru whispered to her.

"I found it." She felt the tears welling up. "It's okay, because I found it. Everything's going to be okay." She wasn't sure if she believed it, staring at his quickly dying body.

"Kunzite! Take the prince and leave!" An unearthly woman's voice echoed over head.

"Yes, my Queen." Kunzite nodded his head and Mamoru began to evaporate. Usagi cried out as he did, trying to clutch at him. Mamoru reappeared in Kunzite's arms and then the two disappeared.

It was almost like they had never been there.

"Endymion!" Usagi cried out. The shining light of the Ginzuishou was leaving it and it was fading to the normal brightness of a crystal. Her transformation was gone. She was once more in her sailor fuku, on her hands and knees, staring at the space where Kunzite and Mamoru had been only a moment before. "Mamoru!"

"Usagi!" They all de-transformed and rushed to her side. Usagi was still crying though, there was no help for it.

"What happened?" Ami asked. "I have memories that I had no recollection of until this day."

"They're your memories from the Silver Millennium." Minako told her looking away for a moment. "I've had mine for awhile…since when I was Sailor V."

"You've known this whole time?" Makoto asked. "What didn't you say anything before?"

"Because she knew you'd remember when you were supposed to." Rei answered quickly, putting her hands on Usagi's shoulders. "And now we know that Usagi is the Princess."

"I can't be…" Usagi shook her head, she de-transformed. "I can't be the princess because I couldn't do anything! I just watched Mamoru get kidnapped!"

"You are the Moon Princess." Rei stated again.

"The Protector of the Ginzuishou." Minako added on. Usagi looked down at the jewel in her hand. Rei hit her shoulder in a friendly gesture.

"It's a lot of responsibility but I know even an Odango Atama like you can handle it." Rei smiled at her.

"We believe in you Usagi-chan." Minako beamed.

"I suppose being a princess would be hard, but you could do it." Ami nodded her head in encouragement.

"I don't know if I can." Usagi sniffed.

"Of course you can!" Minako jumped up, pointing a finger at her. "You don't know how hard it's been, especially with this whole Mamoru business for me not to just tell you but…I was the leader of the Sailor Senshi and I was supposed to protect you. But I wasn't there when you…you…"

"Minako…" Usagi looked troubled at her friend's pained expression.

"I should have been there! But I wasn't. You died and I wasn't there to stop it." Minako went on. "So I promised myself when I remembered that I would protect you. I decided to be the decoy, which is why when I tried to tell you that I was the princess of Venus, Artemis made me shut up about it. I couldn't tell anyone I wasn't the princess of the moon."

"It's okay Minako." Usagi reached up to touch Minako's hand. "I just…Mamo-chan…is gone…"

"Why did the Dark Kingdom want him? I thought they were after the Ginzuishou?" Ami's brow furrowed as she thought. "And how do we get to them?"

"We have to find a way." Rei nodded her head. "They'll probably use Mamoru as a hostage."

"We've got to find Luna and Artemis. We've got to find their hiding place." Makoto suggested. "I think…it'll be better if Usagi just goes straight home."

"I agree." Rei nodded. "I'll walk her there. Luna will probably be there."

"What if he comes back and I'm not here?" Usagi asked her fearfully.

"We'll keep looking here for signs of what happened." Ami promised. "We'll call you as soon as we find anything."

"It'll be okay Usagi, we'll find him." Minako promised. "There's no reason they would take him if they were just going to kill him."

"You need rest Usagi; don't princesses like to get their beauty sleep?" Rei winked at her.

_Mamoru…will I ever see you again? _

Usagi looked up and found herself closing her eyes and letting herself be led home by Rei.

-----------------------

That's it, no more chapter right now. I've got two other updates to do. Please review!


	15. The Aftermath

Hey guys! Some explanations are now in order for some of you who have not read the manga (Remember, I borrowed from both the anime and the manga):

In the manga, when Minako arrives she says that she's the Tsuki no Hime (Princess of the Moon) and even has a crescent moon on her forehead. Of course it's all a big ruse to distract from the real princess (Usagi). That's why I was so confused when people were reviewing and asking if the princess was really Minako.

In this chapter, Luna tells about the Silver Millennium a little more. She'll mention communication between the Moon and the Earth being forbidden because they say something to that effect in the manga which raises some interesting questions as to _why_ that is but that's for a different fanfic.

Ami mentions a ball going on when the Terrans invaded the Moon, that's in the anime. I don't know what was going on when they attacked in the manga.

Kunzite refers to the generals as the 'Shittenou' which translates to 'four kings' meaning Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoicite, and Kunzite. For any of you who might be confused.

As for those aces…well, you'll get an explanation soon.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. (But I found the coolest etymology site for Sailor Moon; this person REALLY looked into the names. It was crazy.)

Warnings: Angst. (Never an angst-less moment around here).

Close Your Eyes

Chapter Fourteen

Ami rubbed her eyes as she continued to type into her computer. She thought eventually she would figure this out. People do _not _just disappear like that. There had to be energy traces, anything!

_You can't find what isn't there…_

_ There's something to this different dimension theory._

_ But it seems so impossible._

_ For someone who says a magical phrase and turns into a soldier who wears a sailor fuku, should we really be questioning what's possible?_

But to not know what exactly had transpired was driving Ami crazy. If she couldn't do this one task, what good was she? She wasn't the natural leader like Minako or the pillar of strength that was Makoto. She wasn't the protector of a very powerful weapon or able to see glimpses of the future like Rei. This was the only thing she could do.

She loved to sift through information and books. When she was five years old her mother would always find her in their library trying to understand the large words in the huge medical texts her mother had. She had learned to read at a young age but was also born with a thirst for seeing just how far she could push her mind.

Luna jumped up into her lap, startling her. Even though Luna was Usagi's cat, she would go to Ami sometimes and now, when they needed information, someone had to be there to keep Ami company.

"If you need to take a break, you can." Luna told the blue-haired teenager who only shook herself and re-adjusted her glasses.

"No, I'm fine." Ami gave the black cat a semi-smile. "There was a different dimension but there's no telling how to get there or where it originated from. How is it able to touch our world?"

"We never really knew. Artemis and I lived on the Moon and…communication between the Lunarians and the Terrans was forbidden." Luna finished slowly.

"But Endymion and Serenity fell in love." Ami chewed on her pen. Sometimes it helped to chew on her pen, even though she knew it wasn't a good habit to get into. Whenever she needed to think things through, she would chew on her pen, hoping the answers would come to her. "Which must have been completely out of the question…"

"It was." Luna nodded. "It was a secret that few knew. The Earth and the Moon were always teetering on the brink of war. We should have taken them seriously but…well, it's hard to explain but I suppose we always felt above the Terrans, like they were ants and we didn't have to worry."

"So that's why we were having a ball the day they attacked." Ami could recall that detail, the lavish decorations, Serenity dancing gracefully with a young man who was wearing a mask…

"Yes. We were a very proud people." Luna looked down at her paws. "We had heard of battles happening on the Earth but never bothered to investigate. We thought it was petty skirmishes."

"It sounds like the only person who could tell us anything would be Endymion and he's disappeared." Ami rubbed her temples with her fingers telling herself that she might kill the prince herself if he didn't have a good explanation for this one. "Did the enemy plan it that way?"

"I don't know." Luna answered truthfully. "When Beryl and Metallia attacked everyone was massacred. They knew to strike us unaware and not give us any time to strategize."

"Who was Beryl?" Ami tried to think. "I know that you told us Metallia is the evil force behind the Dark Kingdom but Beryl was a person, right?"

"I think so." Luna tried to remember. "I remember Endymion mentioning Beryl once when he was speaking to Serenity."

"Perhaps they knew each other…" Ami wished she had more time or didn't feel the pressure that she did. It was like a test that she hadn't studied for at all. "How's Usagi doing?"

"Not so well." Luna seemed sad. "I…I can't face her. I feel like a failure as her guardian. She was the princess all along and I never knew. When Artemis gave me back my memories when Minako told him what happened, I felt like I should have known. It was _my _duty, the last task the queen ever gave me…"

"She needs you Luna." Ami tried to think of the cheerful blonde being miserable and it made her sad. "She needs us all. But I should keep working."

"Ami-chan!" Minako came into her room. "Your mom told me that you were up early this morning. Tell me you slept."

"Well, no." Ami admitted. "I thought I'd try to find out anything I can."

"Am-i!" Minako whined. "How are you supposed to be on your toes if you don't get any rest?"

"I'm fine; really, I'm used to only getting a little sleep." Ami thought about how many nights she had stayed up far too late studying or reading. The responsible, mature side of her always felt guilty but she couldn't help it. Besides, her studies were far more important than sleep in her mind. What if she fell behind? "What are you doing here?"

"Wanted to see what you were up to." Minako sat down on Ami's bed, next to Ami's desk. "And well, I've just been to see Rei and Makoto."

"What are they doing?" Ami cocked her head to one side curiously.

"Rei hasn't gotten any sleep either because she's been up all night trying to find things out from the fire." Minako took a deep breath. "And Makoto's been worried but she says she managed to get a few hours in. I slept for what felt like twenty minutes but…I just can't sleep when Usagi's like this. I know what she must be feeling like…"

"Maybe we should all go visit her. She probably needs to be cheered up." Ami spoke thoughtfully. "I haven't found a single thing…but I hate having to say that to her."

"Don't worry about it; I'm sure she'll understand." Minako looked far away. "If there's one thing I remember being the same in both lives it's that she accepts our limits. She can't accept that she has limits, but she accepts ours."

"Usagi's got a big heart." Ami said wisely.

"Ami…do you think…do you think Usagi thinks I'm a good guardian?" Minako looked worried when she said this, more worried than Ami had ever seen her. It occurred to Ami that Minako being the leader probably had its repercussions on the normally carefree girl. "All these things happened and I feel like I'm the one to blame. Did I tell Serenity not to visit Earth? No, I went with her. Did I tell her that she was the princess when she hated the princess? When it was making her and Mamoru so unhappy? I never said anything and I…"

"You feel guilty." Ami finished solemnly. "Usagi doesn't just become friends with people; she cares about them very deeply. She's always more concerned with others than herself. Minako, you are only human. Albeit a human with super powers but a human all the same. Usagi knows these things. She'll very unconditional with her love so don't think she'll hate you or that you failed her." Ami was surprised that Minako had come to her with this. After all, Ami wasn't the emotional person in the group. She was the logical one. Maybe that's why Minako was there, she needed some logic.

"Thanks Ami." Minako's face lit up in a smile. "Why don't we gather everybody together and go to Usagi's house? I think we'll all feel better when we've visited her."

"I think so as well." Ami agreed. That's what they needed. They needed reassurance and validation from the one person that could give it to them.

-------------------------

"I'm glad you girls decided to visit. Usagi didn't come down for breakfast and I went up there but she said she wasn't hungry at all. I'm afraid she might be sick." Ikuko bit her lip. "Did something happen to her? Or to Mamoru-san?"

"Everything's fine Tsukino-san." Rei bowed politely towards Usagi's mother. "She's just having a hard time."

"I suppose we all go through that phase when we're teenagers, don't we?" Ikuko looked reassured for the moment. The four teenage girls gave each other small smiles at her words.

_Not this phase…_

_ It's unique. _

Luna was with them as was Artemis. They came in with them and as they all made their way upstairs, Minako felt worry well up in her. What would Usagi say? How would she be feeling?

They opened the door to see Usagi wearing a pair of shorts and a cute peasant shirt but her hair had grown from the last time they had seen it. It was now way past her feet and all over the ground.

"Konnichiwa." Usagi didn't seem as though she had any of her old energy in her. "My hair…"

"Wow, when did that happen?" Minako blinked.

"It just kept growing." Usagi told them.

"Let's take care of that." Rei took charge of the situation and before too long they were all gathered around her. Makoto helped cut it to pretty much the same length it had been before they had found out Usagi was the princess. Minako helped put it up as Rei handed her pins. Ami wasn't much good with hair and so decided to just watch.

Usagi looked so grateful, her eyes shining with thanks so brightly that Rei thought she might start crying.

"Arigatou." Usagi smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror. "Arigatou." She turned to look at them. "You guys don't look like you've slept at all!" They all laughed at this.

"We were worried about you." Makoto confessed.

"I kept looking into my fire for answers but none came." Rei looked down as though ashamed of this.

"I haven't gotten any clues from my computer." Ami decided she might as well say it now. "I'll keep trying though."

"It's okay…" Usagi's voice made them all look up at her, her face shining with happiness. "I understand. You guys are trying as hard as you can. I'm just happy…I'm just so happy you're all here." And with that she hugged Minako who was startled by this but hugged her back as Usagi started to cry into her shoulder. "I don't know what I would do without you all."

"We're here; we'll always be here for you Usagi. Whenever you need us." Minako promised.

"And even when you don't." Rei added one with a smile.

"I brought you some baked goods." Makoto held up the bag she had brought with her. "Your mom said you hadn't eaten anything. We could pack a basket up and go take a picnic. It's not good for you to stay inside all day."

"You guys!" Usagi threw herself at them, wailing all over again. She was so glad they were there that she couldn't even put it into words for them. It was like all of her was there.

Except one piece.

----------------------

Kunzite watched the evil energy that was being siphoned into Prince Endymion with a strange expressionless face. Part of him didn't understand why Queen Beryl would save this young man. Sure, he would be a good weapon against the Sailor Senshi but he had been the enemy.

The enemy that had killed the other members of the Shittenou.

But then there was another part of him. A part that had awoken when the light of the Ginzuishou had washed over him. He had seen a different life that he had led. He saw the senshi of Venus giggling and blushing as she spoke to him, he saw Endymion in love with his Tsuki no Hime. He saw himself protecting the prince at all costs.

He had lived a life before this darkness. He had been someone else. And now he was confused, what had caused this change? Did they pour evil energy into him until he was tainted beyond repair? Was he brainwashed as surely as they were brainwashing Endymion?

If that was so, why did he continue to do what Beryl wanted? He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out three stones. His fallen comrades. Zoicite's vibrant green eyes, Jadeite's carefree smirk, and Nephrite's determined face swam through his memories. They were just gone. They had been used to betray those who they had served and now they were dead.

_Did I make this choice? _

_ Am I damned by my own hand or by someone else's? _

But the part of him that hated Endymion and the Sailor Senshi and wanted nothing but to serve Queen Beryl was stronger. Every moment he saw those memories fading slowly and he couldn't hold onto them. But the Ginzuishou had shown him these things.

"Kunzite, what you are doing here?" Beryl asked, her voice cool with a strange dark tinge to it. She truly was Metallia's creature.

"I wanted to see our prisoner and make sure he wasn't escaping." Kunzite had lied to the Queen. He couldn't tell her about the memories. It was possible that she knew about them. For some reason when he thought of Beryl, he saw not the red-haired young woman before him but a dark-haired woman with strange gray eyes.

"You will go attack the Sailor Senshi. I haven't quite forgiven you for allowing the Tsuki no Hime to appear." Beryl was all power and ambition now, her eyes hard. "They will be weak now."

It was a suicide mission. He knew it was. Beryl was sending him to die. And he would. He couldn't tell her no. He nodded his head and Beryl walked on. Kunzite looked at Endymion's body one last time and walked over. He didn't know why he did it but he put the stones in Endymion's jacket pocket. Endymion's face seized in pain for a few moments and then his face relaxed.

Kunzite was about to leave when Endymion spoke to him.

"Kunzite…it was my fault…" Endymion's eyes weren't open and he had murmured it in such a way that the silver-haired general wondered if he was dreaming.

Now was not the time for any sort of sentimentality. He was about to die.

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Please review!


	16. This Chapter Is Sad

I've been really happy about the reviews I've been receiving lately on this story! You guys are so nice. Oh, and a shout out to Kohikari who I think went on a fanfiction spree of my works! It was a nice push to remember to update because my mail box was stuffed full of reviews. But thanks so much for the reviews guys!

Notes:

Minako refers to herself as the 'Megami no Ai' which of course is 'Goddess of Love'.

Yes, Minako does have a sword, but only in the manga. It's supposedly made out of the same material as the Ginzuishou.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Warnings: Angst. You know, for once.

Close Your Eyes

Chapter Fifteen

_"I never saw sad men who looked_

_With such a wistful eye_

_Upon that little tent of blue_

_We prisoners called the sky,_

_And at every happy cloud that passed_

_In such strange freedom by._

_ -The Ballad of Reading Gaol, _Oscar Wilde

"Well, Usagi-chan, where should we go?" Minako asked her. It was after school a few days after they had visited Usagi at home and they had secretly decided that someone should be around Usagi at all times. Minako had happily volunteered for this duty that afternoon.

"I don't care." Usagi gave her a bright smile. Then it faded a little as she got a thoughtful look on her face. "Actually…I thought…we haven't been to the Crown Arcade in awhile."

"Oh." Minako was a little taken aback by this suggestion. The others had agreed they should probably avoid the arcade as it was bound to make Usagi miserable. "Well…sure, I guess."

"It's okay Minako-chan." Usagi told her, surprising Minako. "I know you're all looking out for me but I feel like…just going there. It'll be like the old times…before everything happened."

"I'd like to see Motoki-kun." Minako decided to go with it. "And play Sailor V!"

"It's funny that you like playing that game so much." Usagi commented as they walked along, their briefcases in hand, just walking along the sidewalk. "Is it weird to have a video game named after you?"

"Not really." Minako shrugged. "I always wanted to be famous and I don't mind if Sailor V is popular. Maybe if people like her, they'll really like me when I go out and try to become an idol."

"But if V-chan is popular, then aren't you popular as well?" Usagi blinked in confusion.

"It's different I guess…I'd like people to like me without having to be a super hero." Minako tried to explain. "To just like me for me."

"I'm sure they will if they meet you." Usagi spoke encouragingly. "You have to like Minako-chan for Minako-chan." Minako stared at Usagi for a few moments as they walked along, wondering how it was possible that someone like Usagi could think so highly of herself.

_Not everything about me is good…_

_ There are things that no one knows. _

"Just where are you two going?" Rei asked from behind them and Minako and Usagi stopped and turned to see the raven-haired girl who was looking at them with raised eyebrows.

"To the arcade." Minako answered. She noticed Rei's eyes narrowing. "It was Usagi's idea!"

"I suppose it's not a bad idea." Rei rubbed her chin and considered it for a moment or two. "I'm game for it." Minako and Usagi fell forward a little.

"I hope that wasn't supposed to be a pun." Minako muttered in a low breath.

"Well come on, you don't want to stand around here all day do you?" Rei was standing in front of them surprisingly. "I bet I can beat you at race cars Minako-chan."

"Ha! I'm the master of that game!" Minako declared, pushing up a sleeve. "Come on Usagi-chan, I'm going to teach Rei how the Megami no Ai does things!"

Usagi followed the two other girls to the Crown Arcade. For a moment, as she was walking in, she thought perhaps he _would _be there, sitting at the counter, drinking coffee. But no one was sitting at the counter at all. Motoki was there and he waved at them as they came in.

"Hey girls! I'm glad you came, it's been really slow this afternoon." Motoki gestured around the practically deserted arcade. There were a few boys playing video games but had stopped playing to look at the females who had just walked in.

"Order whatever you want, it's on me." Rei told the other two. Two hamburgers and fries, two milkshakes, and a triple fudge sundae later, Rei was regretting her generous offer.

"The Hime-sama needs a lot of food." Minako whispered comfortingly in Rei's ear as they sat down. Rei watched Usagi begin to wolf down her food.

"Is she _really _a princess?" Rei asked in disbelief. Motoki made his way to their table to talk to them.

"So what brings you guys? Just the usual, video games and food?" Motoki took a seat in a chair next to them.

"Yeah." Minako nodded as she drank from her milkshake.

"I've been wondering if Mamoru's sick." Motoki told them. "I haven't seen him around for a few days and he usually comes in after classes." Usagi stopped eating, the food in her hands lowered until her hands were touching the table. Minako and Rei both winced as soon as the words had left Motoki's mouth. How could they explain to him that he couldn't talk about Mamoru?

_Oh please think of something good to say Rei…_

"Mamoru…" Minako and Rei both looked up in shock as they realized it was Usagi speaking. "Mamoru's fine." Usagi told Motoki in a soft voice. "You'll see him soon."

"You're right; I'm probably just being weird." Motoki laughed it off. "When you see him again, tell him not forget about his old pal Motoki."

"We—" Rei was about to take over the conversation when there was a scream from somewhere outside. All three Sailor Senshi stood up at once. Motoki stood up as well, looking concerned.

"What was that?" Motoki asked.

"I'm going to go see!" Usagi practically sprinted out the door.

"Wait! We're coming too!" Minako called after her as Minako and Rei both left a slightly confused Motoki in their wake. The three went behind the building into an alley and transformed before rushing back out.

There was Kunzite, floating in midair, dark energy swirling around him. Minako grabbed her communicator and pressed the button.

"Mercury! Jupiter! We need you! We're outside the Crown Arcade!" Minako said into the communicator urgently and closed it just as she heard Ami's voice saying they were on their way.

"Only three of you today?" Kunzite looked at them disdainfully.

"The others will be here soon! And how could you interrupt good food and good friends?!" Sailor Moon asked him, pointing a finger at him accusingly. "A pretty soldier in a sailor-suit, Sailor Moon! And in the name of the moon…"

"We will punish you!" The three of them shouted together.

"You couldn't even touch me last time." Kunzite reminded them. "Unless you've made vast improvements in that short time…"

"Crescent Beam!" Minako let off a blast of light and it bounced off of a shield that crackled upon contact.

"Damn, he's got a barrier." Rei swore. "I guess he wouldn't dare fight us without it! He'd lose in a heartbeat."

"Then I have little reason to not use it." Kunzite didn't even blink as he answered.

"We're here!" Ami and Makoto, transformed, came running up.

"We could use your help!" Minako said thankfully. "He's got a barrier again so we can't attack him."

"Maybe not with magical attacks but why not some good old-fashioned tactics?" Makoto cracked her knuckles and went running at Kunzite, clearly intending to beat him with her bare hands.

"Jupiter! Don't!" Ami had her VR visor on and her computer out. Makoto didn't pay attention to the blue-haired senshi's warning and took a swing at him. Her fist hit the barrier and she went flying back, hitting a building.

"Jupiter!" Usagi cried out in alarm and rushed over to her. "Jupiter, are you okay?" Makoto's eyes cracked open and she smiled weakly.

"I'm fine; I've been hit way harder." Makoto told her as she stood up. "Mercury, how are we supposed to hit this guy?"

"I don't know." Mercury looked frustrated beyond on all belief. "We've got to destroy that barrier."

"I've got a better plan." Kunzite volunteered. "I get rid of you Sailor Senshi and not worry about your interference again."

"That plan would work except that we don't go down without a fight." Makoto told him with a glare.

"Good luck fighting this." Kunzite put his two hands out in front of him. The ground around them began to glow.

"Venus! Mars!" Usagi yelled the names. "What's going on?"

"My visor…its readings…" Ami couldn't process what the visor was telling her and she touched her earring so that it would disappear.

"I'll send you into time where you can drift forever." Kunzite's look was victorious. Perhaps he wouldn't die today. Perhaps he could seal them away and they wouldn't be missed nor be an interference at all.

"Sailor Moon!" Minako tried to move but found she couldn't, the ground was glowing brighter then you.

"Everyone, watch—" Ami tried to warn them but at that moment all five disappeared in a flash. The ground was no longer glowing and Kunzite couldn't believe how easy it had been.

_You can send me on a suicide mission Beryl, but I won't be defeated. _

---------------------

Even though it felt strange, Usagi opened her eyes. She saw a glowing and knew that the Ginzuishou was protecting over her.

"Everyone!" Usagi sat up quickly and saw that the others were all around her. They were waking up as well, looking around at the strange landscape as the Ginzuishou stopped glowing and landed in Usagi's hands.

The place gleamed in a silver white and all around them was darkness.

"It's the Earth!" Minako gasped and pointed at something above her. They all looked in that direction and were shocked to see the Earth looking back at them.

"We're on the moon." Ami explained as she typed something in her computer. "We're at the edge of the Sea of Serenity, where the Moon Kingdom used to stand." Usagi noticed that there were ruins lying around everywhere. Indeed, a great castle did once stand here.

They all got up and brushed themselves off.

"How do we leave?" Rei asked the others. No one knew the answer to that. No one knew if they _could _leave.

"Serenity…" A ghostly voice called out to them.

"Who is that?" Usagi asked, looking around fearfully.

"It's coming from that direction." Ami pointed. "It's some sort of machine…" The five went forward together cautiously. Behind a fallen part of a castle was a computer with a miniature person standing there on the computer.

"Princess Serenity…it's good to see you again." The figure spoke as they drew closer. "Welcome back daughter."

"Daughter?" Usagi's eyes widened as they gathered around the figure. She had odangoes in her hair as well and had a crescent moon on her forehead. She was wearing a beautiful white dress. "Are you…you're…"

"I'm your mother, Queen Serenity." The miniature queen smiled kindly. "Actually, I'm only a hologram but I am her memory preserved in this computer."

"Queen Serenity!" Minako seemed amazed.

"Yes, the last Queen of this kingdom." Queen Serenity looked sad. "Maybe one day it will be restored to the place it once was."

"We need your help your highness!" Minako told her. "Beryl and Metallia, the enemies who caused the fall of the Moon Kingdom have been revived."

"I knew they would be revived one day." Queen Serenity nodded her head. "When I sealed them…I had seen the death of my beloved daughter and I had only regret and sorrow in my heart. The seal was weak…"

"If we seal them away…we'll have to make a stronger seal." Usagi spoke slowly.

"The heart full of love and does not surrender to sorrow can make the seal strong." Queen Serenity told them.

"What does that mean?" Usagi questioned.

"You will see." Queen Serenity smiled. "You are pure of heart and I have great faith in you. In all of you. Now, Venus, it is time to recover your sword."

"You have…my sword?" Minako seemed surprised. "I thought…it was lost…"

"All things that must be preserved are." Queen Serenity put her hands together and closed her eyes as if in prayer. A light began to appear in front of Minako and slowly began to elongate and form a sword.

The light flashed and a sword was in front of her, hanging in midair. She grabbed hold of the white and shining blade and took a small practice swing.

"You must protect…the Prin…" Queen Serenity's speech was skipping and her image flickered. She held it steady after a few moments. "The computer's power is about to run out, please, listen Serenity…I wish things could have been different for you. Different for you and Endymion both…"

"It wasn't your fault." Usagi was beginning to tear up.

"I'm fading…" Queen Serenity's image flickered. "Sailor Venus, Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Jupiter…please…protect her with all that you can."

"We will your highness." Minako spoke for the others.

"You can't just fade away…" A tear fell down Usagi's cheek. "Please…don't just leave me. Tell me what I'm supposed to do."

"I can't tell you that…it's for you to make your own destiny." Queen Serenity said and then a strange noise went through the computer. "Good-bye…my daughter…"

The image faded.

"Mother…" Usagi stared at the spot. "Mother…I'll try…" The Ginzuishou began to glow again.

"Are we going back?" Makoto asked just as the light of the Ginzuishou flashed and they were suddenly the ground disappeared from beneath their feet and just as suddenly, they could feel it again.

They were standing just where they had disappeared; an astonished looking Kunzite was standing there.

"How is it possible…?" Kunzite looked at the glowing Ginzuishou in Usagi's hands. "Of course, the Ginzuishou…how silly of me to underestimate it."

"You won't be allowed to make that mistake twice." Minako brandished her sword at him.

"And just what do you plan to do with that?" Kunzite asked her haughtily. Minako's face was solemn as she jumped in the air and came down, her sword hitting Kunzite's barrier. There was a loud crackle of energy and it went through the barrier, slicing his shoulder.

"Wow…" Makoto breathed next to the others.

"She broke through the barrier!" Rei exclaimed in amazement.

"Damn you…Sailor Senshi…" Kunzite glared at them. Minako came running at him, her sword pointed straight towards him.

He was about to throw an attack when Minako sped up more then he thought she could and suddenly, Kunzite felt something slicing through his chest. Blood sprayed out his back and Sailor Venus pulled her bloodied sword out of his body.

"Wha…?" Kunzite pitched forward, landing on the ground. As blood flowed out of his body, he laid there, his eyes wide and staring at the golden haired senshi of Venus. He was dying. He was actually dying.

_"Kunzite, what's all this worry about when you die?" Endymion laughed as he hit Kunzite's back in a friendly manner. It was a beautiful summer day and it was hard to think about death with the blue sky and fragrant green field before him. _

_ "I don't know…" Kunzite trailed off. "Aren't you worried that you'll die one day?"_

_ "You only live once." Endymion told him with a wink. "So make the best of it." _

_ "Don't be so serious all the time Kunzite! Your hair already went gray!" Jadeite laughed next to him. _

_ "It's not gray!" Kunzite protested. _

_ "He does worry more than any old man I've ever met." Zoicite joked, leaning in so he could look at Kunzite, his green eyes catching the sunlight. _

_ "Come on Kunzite, enjoy today, think about death when it's staring you in the face." Nephrite grinned at him. _

He took a couple of deep shuddering breaths and felt himself trying to cling to his unnatural life.

_"We're both soldiers." Sailor Venus told him. "We're both loyal. Nothing could ever make us betray the ones we swore to protect…" _

_ "I think I'm beginning to understand you." Kunzite gave her one of his rare smiles. _

_ "Y-you are?" Sailor Venus blushed, looking at her hands with wide blue eyes. _

Their faces all flashed before his eyes one by one. Jadeite. Nephrite. Zoicite. Endymion. Sailor Venus. All from the life before this miserable existence.

He closed his eyes once last time as he saw them flashing before his eyes, maybe hoping to drown out these ghosts of the past.

_He was suddenly standing in a field again, but more vivid then the field he had at that time with the rest of the Shittenou. The blue was so piercing, he felt like shielding his eyes but found he didn't need to._

_ "Kunzite!" Zoicite waved at him from across the field where he saw the two others standing there. "You've finally arrived." _

_ "We couldn't do a thing without our leader." Nephrite called as he Kunzite's face filled with wonder. _

_ "Come on, what are you waiting for?" Jadeite gestured for him to hurry over. _

_ "This…" Kunzite realized what was bothering him. "This isn't hell." _

_ "No," Zoicite's eyes lit up as he smiled. "It isn't."_

----------------------

The Sailor Senshi watched in amazement as Kunzite's body turned into a small glittering stone. What did that mean? Sailor Venus stepped forward, perhaps to pick it up but just as she did, a black rose sank itself into the pavement in front of her.

"What the--?" Minako looked up as did the others. There he was. Standing on a building, wearing his mask and hat.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Usagi looked happier than they had seen her in days. He dropped down from the building and she ran towards him but he picked up Kunzite's stone and jumped back quickly.

"Consider this a warning Sailor Senshi." He spoke in a voice that sounded like Mamoru's but darker and more threatening. And with that he disappeared.

The others all turned towards each other.

_What does this mean…? _

--------------------------

I did it! I finished! I'm working on an update for The Evening of the Moon and I'll probably get it down tomorrow and put it up so never fear. I really liked this chapter and the way it went. Thanks for reading!


	17. No Hitting

I am now using Yahoo messenger for their customized internet radio service. I'm not really doing anything wrong…heh. It's kind of nice, so now I don't have to get up and change the radio or listen to someone else's 80's radio station where Depeche Mode is played every other song. (Not that that happened to me…) Oh well, really where I'm going with this is that I have good music for writing which does not involve having to cross the room. .

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Warnings: Angst, very major angst.

Close Your Eyes

Chapter Sixteen

            _He can't really be evil…_

She had said it to herself for the thousandth time that day. The last time she had seen him, he seemed so different. It was like it wasn't Mamoru at all. Just some horrible copy.

            The girls had all tried to comfort her which was the only thing they seemed to do now a day. It was too horrible to think of. If Mamoru had been turned against them…what if they brainwashed all of them? Usagi couldn't beat it. She felt like she had failed.

            She knew Makoto asked to meet her after school the next day but she didn't feel like meeting her. It felt she had to have an escort with her at all times. Usagi ran quickly out of the school building and down the street before slowing to a normal walk.

            _Sorry Mako-chan…I just want some time by myself._

It didn't take a rocket scientist to know the others had purposely made sure that one of them was always with her. It made her feel weak, as though she couldn't do anything on her own.

            She was busy thinking and not paying attention at all, so she bumped right into someone.

            "Oh, gomen!" Usagi felt bad for not paying attention. When she looked up at the person, for a split second her heart leapt as she thought she had run into Mamoru. But it was not Mamoru, it was Seiya. "Seiya…"

            "Usagi-chan." Seiya gave her a smile. "We always run into each other."

            "Yeah…I guess so." Usagi knew her smile wasn't genuine but she couldn't tell Seiya if something was bothering her. At least, not this thing.

            "Is…something wrong?" Seiya seemed concerned and Usagi wondered if it was really that obvious that she was sad.

            "No. Not really." Usagi denied.

            "How's everyone?" Seiya questioned amiably. "How's Mamoru?"

            "He's…he's…" Usagi bit her lip as a lump rose in her throat. She couldn't start crying. Not right here.

            "Did…something happen?" Seiya questioned, looking even more worried.

            _Something did happen._

_            Mamoru…did you really start working for them?_

She felt tears welling up and she tried desperately to push them down. She couldn't cry here too. It felt like she had done nothing lately but cry. Seiya put a hand on her shoulder.

            "Usagi…if something happened…" Seiya trailed off as Usagi felt a tear fall. Another one followed it. "If Mamoru…can't take care of you, I will."

            _It's not that he can't take care of me…_

"You…you don't know anything!" Usagi pulled away from him. "Why do you always assume the worst about Mamoru? Do you really hate him that much?" And with that, she turned and ran away. Was it fair to just yell at Seiya?

            _But sometimes he says things that make me doubt Mamoru…_

_            And I can't doubt him now…_

_-----------------------_

            Seiya trudged home. Hadn't he said the right thing? Hadn't he just been trying to comfort Usagi? And she had just pushed him away. Because he wasn't good enough.

            _I'm sorry Usagi…_

He opened the door, not bothering to call out that he was home before shutting the door. Seiya went into the living room to see that there was someone already sitting on the couch which he hadn't been expecting.

            It was Tomoe Hotaru. She seemed surprised to see him as well. She blinked her large lavender eyes a few times.

            "Konnichiwa Kou-san." Hotaru greeted him.

            "What are you doing here?" Seiya asked, sitting on the couch next to her.

            "Oh well, I was just hanging out with Yaten." Hotaru explained. "What have you been up to?"

            "Nothing." Seiya shrugged though he was a little surprised. Yaten? Yaten hated everyone, why was he hanging out with Hotaru? Taiki had mentioned that Yaten had a model for his paintings. "Well…kind of…"

            "You look…a little sad." Hotaru spoke hesitantly. He looked at her curiously. "Sorry, I just…"

            "No, I guess you caught me." Seiya gave her a half smile. "I'm sure you don't want to hear this story."

            "Go ahead. I'm a good listener." Hotaru encouraged.

            "Well, you know Tsukino Usagi?" Seiya began. Hotaru nodded. "I really like her…a lot. So, I tried to get her to fall in love with me but she's in love with this other guy. No matter what I do…I don't think it's going to work out. But like an idiot, I keep trying."

            "That doesn't make you an idiot." Hotaru told him comfortingly.

            "It doesn't?" Seiya looked up, half disbelieving this girl.

            "No. Think about it, it just means that you have hope. Maybe nothing will ever happen but you're hopeful anyways." Hotaru pointed out. "Hope isn't a bad thing and it doesn't make you less of a person."

            _She's right…_

_            Hotaru's a good person. _

"You'll find the girl for you one day." Hotaru told him helpfully. "Maybe it won't be Usagi-chan but it'll be the right one."

            Seiya stared at her, wondering how this girl could know so much. She was giving him a smile that made her eyes light up. It was so comforting. Like Usagi was there…or…or…

            _"Seiya…I'm sorry…it's the way things are…"_

Seiya wasn't sure what he was doing but he suddenly leaned forward and pressed his lips up against Hotaru's. For a moment the small girl froze completely and then pulled away quite suddenly.

            Her lavender eyes were wide with shock as she stared at him for a few minutes.

            "I…" Seiya knew he shouldn't have done that but he couldn't help it.

            "Gomen, I-I have to go." Hotaru apologized before getting up and practically running from the room. A second later the door closed, announcing Hotaru had left the house.

            _Good job Seiya. _

Strangely, neither Hotaru nor Seiya saw the person standing in the shadows of the other entrance to the living room. Chartreuse eyes narrowed dangerously before the person turned on their heel and went to their room.

---------------------

            Taiki pushed open the door with one hand as he tried to juggle several bags. He should have taken someone along on this shopping trip but he hadn't originally meant to just go shopping.

            "Some help here please!" Taiki finally got the door open just as a bag of oranges slipped from his hands and the oranges began to roll away.

            "I'm coming." Seiya came up to the door. He saw the oranges and Taiki trying to chase them with the bags in his hands and started laughing.

            "If I wanted that sort of help, I'd ask Yaten." Taiki raised an eyebrow at the dark haired young man.

            "I'll go get him." Seiya walked away and Taiki fell over tripping over a bag and trying to stop Seiya.  

            "No, come back…gah." Taiki pulled himself into a sitting position. "Really wonderful how we all come together as a team, isn't it Taiki?"

            Seiya went through the living room and into the hallway. He went past his and Taiki's room and stopped at Yaten's.

            "Hey, Yaten! Come on, Taiki needs help with the groceries." Seiya knocked on his door. The door opened and Seiya was about to drop some remark when something stopped him.

            A fist connected with his jaw and Seiya hit the wall behind him with the force of it.

            "What the hell Yaten?!" Seiya rubbed his jaw. He looked at Yaten who was wearing a dark expression.

            "What's going on?" Taiki had heard a thump and abandoned trying to get his groceries back in the bags to see what had happened.

            "You deserve it." Yaten told Seiya in a dangerously low voice. "Why can't you think of someone else for once in your life? Is that so hard?!" And then Yaten slammed the door shut, leaving a stunned Taiki and Seiya staring.

            "What…what was that about?" Taiki asked the dark haired boy.

            "I don't know." Seiya shook his head, wondering just what had happened that had made Yaten so emotional.

            _Could it be…?_

-------------------------

            Sorry the chapter is short this time…but the next one is longer! I promise! So please review!


	18. Angst, Lots of Angst

Hey kiddos! Sorry about the short chapter last time. Never fear for this chapter has lots of stuff in it! And a lot of angst. So enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Warnings: Angst. So much angst.

Close Your Eyes

Chapter Seventeen

Hotaru brushed her hair. She wanted to look nice. She wanted to apologize to Yaten for disappearing yesterday. She thought for sure he'd call her or something to ask where she had gone but he didn't.

_I can't believe what happened yesterday…_

_ Seiya was just upset. _

_ I can't tell Yaten about it though…_

It felt wrong somehow to tell the silver-haired boy the real reason. She would say she forgot something that she had to do with her aunt. Yeah, that sounded like a good and believable reason. Hotaru hated lying but she had to do it.

It didn't take long to get to the house where Yaten lived. She knocked on the door and Taiki answered. He let her in, not questioning her presence at all. Hotaru went through to Yaten's room, happy that she had not run into Seiya.

_I don't know what I would say…_

_ It would be awkward…_

She knocked on Yaten's door even though he always told her she didn't have to.

"Come in." The words were cold and Hotaru came in, closing the door. It was night time and the room was completely dark. There was no one in there at all. At least, she couldn't see anyone.

"Yaten?" Hotaru's voice was small. Someone had to be here. Someone told her to come in hadn't they?

A lamp clicked on. Yaten was sitting in a chair, his hand still on the light switch for the lamp. Hotaru saw the look on his face, a strange mixed expression and didn't know how to react.

"Why are you sitting in the dark?" Hotaru felt uneasy but she faked a smile anyways. Yaten got up and Hotaru thought he was about to say something but instead he walked right up to her, grabbing her and pressed his mouth roughly against hers. The roughness and abruptness of the kiss did not lessen. Hotaru was frozen.

_Why…Yaten, why are you…?_

Finally his hands took hold of her wrists and he pulled away from her.

"Why him?" A simple question and gods did she wish she had an answer.

"I-I…" Hotaru stammered.

"Why him?" Firmer this time, he _had _to know.

_Gomen…gomen…what are you talking about Yaten?_

"What?" Hotaru tried before bursting into tears at the hard look he was giving her. Tears streamed down and tried to wipe them away but Yaten had a firm grip on her wrists.

_"A girl's tears are so ugly…"_

"Don't…don't you dare pretend you have no idea what I'm talking about." Yaten was angry. But it was different than usual. Usually it seemed he got more frustrated and annoyed rather then actually angry. His tone bit like it never had before. She tried not to cry.

_Do something…_

_ Oh gods…he saw me and Seiya._

"You really got me, didn't you?" Yaten laughed bitterly. "I thought you were…so beautiful…but you," His face hardened even more. "You are the ugliest thing I've ever seen. Was it fun? Two boys at once, or maybe you even had Taiki as fooled as you had me? Girls are all the same—" Yaten's words were cut short as a hand had freed itself and struck his cheek. Physically the pain wasn't very much, just a tinge. He felt like someone had crushed his heart in their hands.

_Why did I say that…those awful things?_

_ Forget them, forget everything, and just let me take you somewhere and keep you all to myself._

_ I don't want anyone else to touch you…_

Hotaru had hit him though. _Hit _him. Sometimes when she was lost in thought, her eyes glittered and the look in her eyes was one of somebody who knew too much. Hotaru was staring at him with a shocked look as though he had slapped her.

"You!" She cried at him. "You don't understand."

"Oh really? I don't understand how you girl's satisfy your whims? I don't understand how they go around, not paying attention to who they're hurting?" Yaten wished he could have gone back in time and stopped himself from saying that.

"You wouldn't understand. I don't know you and you," Hotaru paused for emphasis. "Don't know me. I'm must your stupid model. You hate all your models, don't you? Why don't you go ahead and tell me how much you hate me? I…I…" Hotaru looked determined. "I don't want you to hold back like you always do!" Hotaru went to go leave the room, not being able to bear it any longer. How could Setsuna always do her job with a closed face?

Fingers closed around her wrist and pulled her back, she went tumbling backwards onto the bed, Yaten suddenly bent over her in a compromising position. His green eyes were flashing.

"You don't want me to hold back? Well here, here's exactly how I feel!" Yaten's face amazingly began to relax. "Every day I wake up and make up an excuse to see you if it isn't Wednesday. Every morning I wake up and make up excuses for you to stay longer when it's not Wednesday. Every morning I wake up and think whether I can make you smile at me. And every morning I wake up and know that you'll never love me the way that I want you to."

_Why aren't you angry?_

_ You can't love me…don't tease Yaten…_

_ "I'm not teasing you, I'm trying to say…"_

_ "I want something to hold onto, so let me hold onto you." _

_ "I'll remember you."_

"I hope you're happy." Yaten snapped her back into reality. Hotaru felt her hands slip out from under his and go up, gods she loved those bright eyes, so lively, unlike her dead ones. She couldn't stop herself as she pulled his head down and brought up her lips to catch hold of his.

She held onto him tightly, scared of what would happen if she let go.

_I want him…_

Finally she did let go. She released him and he pulled away from her, looking stricken by her actions and even…scared. Why did he seem scared?

He moved so he was no longer on top of her but sitting next to her. She was about to sit up but his words made her freeze.

"Just go." He told her. "I don't want your pity."

"Yaten…I…" Hotaru tried to say the words that were hanging in her mind but she couldn't get them out.

"Just GO!" He yelled at her and Hotaru hurriedly got up and ran towards the door. She turned to look at him but he wasn't facing her and she burst through the door and out, out of this house.

_Why…why can't I just once get out what I meant to say?_

_ Why does everything have to be like this?_

----------------------

Seiya kicked a rock as he walked down the sidewalk. He wasn't sure what had happened the previous night with Yaten so continued to ponder this as he went down the sidewalk.

_Unless…_

_ It has something to do with Hotaru…_

And then, a strange scent filled the air. He knew this scent more than any other in the whole universe. He whirled around and caught someone just disappearing around a corner. He ran around that corner, grabbing their wrist and whirling them around.

_No…it can't be…_

_ You…you're getting married…you…let us leave…_

"Kakyuu…" Seiya breathed. The dark red eyes looked at him and tears began to form in them. "Kakyuu-hime…"

"Seiya…I…" Kakyuu started to say. "I can't…I can't do it anymore!" And she threw herself into his arms. He caught her easily, forgetting how small and fragile their princess was.

He stroked her hair with a hand and realized that Kakyuu was wearing normal civilian clothes. How had she gotten them? How long had Kakyuu been here? Without protection no less…

"Shhh, Kakyuu-hime, what can't you do?" Seiya felt a lump beginning to form in his throat. He had been away from his princess too long. He forgot what it was like to be there with her.

"I couldn't marry him…" Kakyuu told him, looking at his blue eyes. "I couldn't marry that man. I missed you all so much…I want to be with you all."

"Wait, the advisors don't know you're here?" Seiya's eyes widened. "You just…left?"

"I know…I know I shouldn't have but…" Kakyuu clutched at his shirt. "I had to be with you all again. You've been gone so long…"

"It's alright Kakyuu, it's alright now. You're with us." Seiya comforted her. How beautiful she was right then, tears falling from her cheeks. His carefully brushed away her tears. "I'll take you to the others."

"I was afraid…I was afraid you'd hate me." Kakyuu confessed.

"No…I can't…I'll never hate you Kakyuu…" Seiya took her hand and began to walk towards the house where he lived with the other two. "I'll never hate you."

---------------------

"Oh, Seiya, are you home?" Taiki called out from the kitchen where he was stirring spaghetti sauce. "Hotaru was here earlier and she rushed out in tears before I could stop her. I guess Yaten's in a really good mood again today so try to stay out of his way."

"Taiki?" The soft female voice made Taiki drop the wooden spoon he had. Seiya entered the room holding the hand of someone Taiki knew the instant he laid eyes on her.

"Kakyuu-hime?!" His eyes were wide.

"It's so good to see you again." Kakyuu went over and hugged him briefly. "What are you doing? Cooking? Is Yaten here?"

"Yes, he is." Taiki smiled warmly at her. "I'm making spaghetti, something we didn't discover until we came here."

"It smells wonderful." Kakyuu sniffed at the air. "May I have some?"

"Of course you can! Like we would let you starve." Taiki shook his head in wonder. "Oh, Kakyuu-hime, sit down." He led her to a stool so she could watch the cooking. Seiya quickly sat beside her.

"Is this your home?" Kakyuu looked around curiously. "It's pretty."

"I have a quick question for you Kakyuu-hime." Taiki adjusted the glasses he was wearing. "Were you following us?"

"Yes…" Kakyuu confessed. "I didn't know…what to say…you had all been away so long and I didn't want to barge into your lives…"

"You are our lives…" Taiki told her and Seiya's eyes narrowed slightly at the look Taiki was giving Kakyuu.

"Is dinner ready yet?" Yaten had come out of his room looking like he was in a very dark mood. His eyes went from Taiki and his cooking to Seiya, which caused him to glare. And then his eyes went to Kakyuu. "What?! What are you doing here?"

"I've come to visit you." Kakyuu gave the green-eyed boy a tentative smile.

_Kakyuu-hime…_

_ Who never even noticed Seiya when he was pining after her. _

_ Who never even noticed how much she hurt him by announcing her engagement. _

_ Because girls…they're all the same…_

"Shirking responsibility again?" Yaten asked her in an accusatory tone. "You're good at that, not taking responsibility for anything! You're such a child Kakyuu!"

"Yaten…" Kakyuu looked sad but didn't protest.

"Yaten, shut the hell up!" Seiya yelled at him. "Don't talk to her that way!"

"It really is uncalled for." Taiki was looking at him sternly as well.

"Whatever, I don't care." Yaten gave Kakyuu one last look before leaving the kitchen. "As long as you're here Kakyuu-hime, maybe you'll keep Seiya's mind off that idiot Usagi." He had called it out over his shoulder and Kakyuu blinked several times.

"Who's Usagi?" Kakyuu asked the other two. Taiki and Seiya both looked uncomfortable.

"She's just a girl. It doesn't matter." Seiya answered quickly.

"Don't listen to Yaten." Taiki went and put a hand on Kakyuu's shoulder. "Something is really bothering him. I don't know what exactly…He…you know Yaten."

"I certainly do." Kakyuu smiled sadly. "I'm so glad to see you all again. Even when Yaten is like that I know…it is because Yaten is Yaten and he will be truthful to me…even if it hurts my feelings…"

_I wonder…Yaten, if there is something else. _

_ Someone else who you are mad at…_

----------------------

Wow, that was angst filled. Of course I had "Denial Revisited" by the Offspring on repeat during the whole chapter so that probably helped a little. Funny fact, I wrote that Yaten/Hotaru scene a year ago. Yeah. When I first got the idea for this story in fact. Pretty weird to think that it's finally in the story. You'll wanna stay tuned for the next chapter, believe me. Please review!


	19. Evil Mamoru Is Evil

Unfortunately some of the readers of this story are under the impression that this story was written solely to please them. Now I'm sorry if you don't care about the minor characters of Sailor Moon like Hotaru or Yaten but being that they are some of my favorite characters they get a large part in my story. If you want to read something that is nothing but a Usagi/Mamoru/Seiya love triangle then go read one of the hundreds of others in this section. As for me, I've got secondary characters to write about! The SM universe is a vast place and full of characters whose potential I cannot waste. So read on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Warnings: Angst. As much I hate to say it…the thing we've been dreading…just read, I cannot say it. This chapter is a little…violent.

-------------------

Close Your Eyes

Chapter Eighteen

-------------------

Usagi opened the door. Seven days since the Dark Kingdom took Mamoru. She couldn't think anything else. Today she hadn't eaten, telling everyone she felt sick. She hated to lie to the others.

_I remember…Mamoru waited for me here…_

The blonde frowned as she walked inside. She heard a whimpering noise from the living room.

_What could that be?_

Usagi's eyes went wide with shock and horror as she stepped into the living room.

Mamoru was there. Standing there with a look on his face she had never seen. Cold and empty. A shell of his former self. Then she saw the rest of the living room and cried out.

Her family was hanging from manacles. Mamoru transformed into his armor and a sword. Shingo was trying not to cry as he hung there. Ikuko had tears falling down her face and Kenji struggled as if he thought he could get free.

"Usagi!" Shingo exclaimed hopefully as his sister came into view.

"Okaa-san! Otou-san! Ototo-chan!" Usagi began running towards them. Mamoru drew his sword, the soft metal sound stopping her in her tracks.

"Good." Mamoru smirked. "You learned the first lesson, Sailor Moon."

"Let them go!" Usagi turned towards him, tears in her eyes. "Mamoru! Mamoru! Why are you doing this?"

"I am Endymion, the Prince of Earth." Mamoru's emotionless voice stopped her from going nearer to him.

"No…you are that but you're Mamoru too…" Usagi kept going. She went to hug him but put the sword in between them.

"Give me the Ginzuishou." Mamoru stated, her family's cries filling her ears. "Or they die."

"No, y-you can't." Usagi trembled. "You wouldn't!"

"Oh?' Mamoru raised an eyebrow. Before Usagi could react, Mamoru plucked a rose out of thing air and threw it with deadly accuracy. It embedded itself in Shingo's throat.

Shingo gasped for breath, a strange gurgle sounded as his punctured windpipe filled with blood. He struggled for a few more moments before his small body went limp.

"Shingo!" Usagi started to run towards Shingo's body but was thrown back by an invisible barrier. Pain wracked her body. "Gomen nasai…gomen nasai…"

"Give me the Ginzuishou if you want to save your parents." Mamoru gestured towards the two surviving members of Usagi's family.

"U-Usagi-chan…" Ikuko began weakly, her voice cracking.

"Okaa-san!" Usagi sobbed.

"Get up, you're a big girl." Ikuko went on. "I sometimes though…Sailor Moon looked like you…you grew up so fast. Don't give in Usagi…"

"Okaa-san…I have to." Usagi took off the necklace that she gotten to hang the Ginzuishou off of.

"That's right, give me the Ginzuishou." Mamoru beckoned. Usagi began to step forward.

_"You are the Moon Princess."_

_ "You are the protector of the Ginzuishou."_

_ "It's a lot of responsibility but I know even an Odango Atama like you can handle it."_

_ "We believe in you Usagi-chan."_

_ "I suppose being the princess would be hard but you can do it."_

_ "Usako…you found it…the Ginzuishou."_

Usagi hesitated. Mamoru was unfazed by this.

"Let me show you," Mamoru began. "Let me show you why you should obey faster. Like my roses." Mamoru pulled out another one.

_Why?_

_ What did they do to him?_

_ Ototo-chan…gomen…I wasn't fast enough…_

"No!" Usagi rushed towards the barrier again but was once more thrown back, hitting the wall opposite. Instantly cuffs wrapped around her wrists, her arms pinned by her sides, her legs clamped in metal clamps a little apart, the Ginzuishou still tightly clamped in one fist.

"Now," Mamoru got right next to her face, more tears splashed down her cheeks. So close she could feel his breath on her face. "Now you learn to obey."

"Stop it!" Usagi cried. "I'll give you the Ginzuishou."

"Good." Mamoru smiled, really just showing his teeth. "That's a good little rabbit."

"Usagi-chan, don't!" Ikuko insisted. A rose was suddenly sticking out of her leg, blood blossoming on her dress.

"Quiet." Mamoru pulled out another rose, brushing the petals up against Usagi's cheek. "It's hard to think of one killing you when it's so soft, isn't it?"

"Why…Mamo-chan?" Usagi whispered. "Please stop."

"Stop? Queen Beryl wishes for you to suffer." Mamoru moved the rose down her neck. "I obey the Queen."

"Don't you remember? It's me! You're Odango Atama! My prince…Tuxedo Kamen…" Usagi tried to get through to him.

"Odango…A…tama?" Mamoru faltered, his eyes a whirl of confusion. His head felt like it was splitting.

_"Odango Atama."_

_ "Odango Atama."_

_ "Odango Atama."_

_ "Mamoru no baka!"_

"I said that…" Mamoru murmured, hope shone from Usagi's eyes. He straightened. "It doesn't matter anyways. And just for that…" Mamoru pulled out a hand full of roses, throwing them at Usagi's parents all at once.

"Usagi-chan!"

"Usagi!"

The sound of the roses hitting their targets echoed in the room. Usagi's cry sounded through the whole house.

"NO!"

"You…" Usagi croaked. "I will punish you. Your deed will never be forgiven."

"Shall I make them dance for you too?" Mamoru seemed amused by her pronouncement. Usagi watched in horror as the three corpses began to dance, they looked like puppets on strings. Her empty stomach heaved at the sight.

"Stop it!" She yelled. The corpses did stop, going back to how they were, as if they had never moved.

"I want that Ginzuishou." Mamoru's tone had a low growl in it.

"I-I won't." Usagi squeezed her eyes shut and held even tighter to the Ginzuishou.

"I thought you would learn…" Mamoru trailed off as if it were a great tragedy to him. "What a stupid girl you are…" Even though his mind was flooded with thoughts of his absolute devotion to Beryl, something about this girl was different. She was so innocent, so pure, and being this close, her scent wrapped around him, it was doing something to him.

_I know her…_

_ I want her._

Mamoru shook his head. If he wanted something, he had the power to take it. That's what his mind told him. He was cruel and merciless. If the Queen wanted it, he obeyed.

"Maybe it's time to try something else?" Mamoru was so close now that his lips brushed against her ear as they moved. She shivered. "The Queen wants you to suffer…I can think of a few ways that would be a lot more fun for me." Usagi's eyes widened.

"You can't be him…he's not like this!" Usagi moved her head as far from him as she could. "Endymion…don't you remember?"

"No." Mamoru sheathed his sword. "I am Endymion, sworn to my lady and queen, Beryl."

"You once said…we couldn't be together because you were destined for a princess…" Usagi remembered that time so long ago. "I'm the princess."

"Princess?" Mamoru's harsh, almost robotic voice asked.

_A princess…_

_ "Endymion!"_

_ "The Ginzuishou."_

_ What is this?  
  
_

------------------------

Minako looked down at her grocery bag as she approached the Tsukino house.

"Usagi-chan…I brought some things to cheer you up." Minako said to herself. Her tone was sad. She cleared her throat and put on her best smile. She had to be happy for her princess.

_The important thing is to make Usagi smile._

Minako wanted to finally tell Usagi about her past, about the ace of hearts, and mostly about Danburite, Kaitou Ace…Adonis. Maybe it would make her feel better somehow.

A shriek made her pause as she went for the doorknob. A flash of something, pain and misery ran through her like an electric current. The bag hit the ground.

"The princess is in pain!" Minako took out her henshin pen.

----------------------

Stop!" Usagi twisted away from the evil Mamoru. His hands continued up her skirt. "Mamoru!"

"If you loved me so much," Mamoru began mockingly. "You wouldn't mind. I guess you are a liar. So everything you say is a _lie_."

"No! I'm not lying!" Usagi tried to get her arms free. Nothing budged. "Don't you understand; you're brainwashed!"

"Am I?" Mamoru cocked an eyebrow at her. "Now give me the Ginzuishou."

A flying object streaked by, cutting one of Mamoru's arms. An ace of hearts. Usagi looked over to see a young man standing there, a mask, just like the one Tuxedo Kamen wore adorning his face, another card held in between his index and middle fingers.

"I heard a cry of distress from my princess…" The blonde-haired man explained.

_Princess?_

_ Is he talked about me?_

"Crescent Beam!" Sailor Venus blasted into the room, hitting a still partially stunned Mamoru. She turned slowly as she noticed the person beside her. "What…"

"I'll tell you later princess." The masked man shook his head at her. Minako turned towards Mamoru.

"Get away from her!" Minako geared up for another attack. "How dare you try to harm the princess?"

"You are interrupting me." Mamoru snarling, pulling out more roses. Usagi saw nightmarish flashes of her parents dying. Would he kill Minako? And make her dance?

"Don't hurt her!" Usagi struggled. "Please, not her! It's yours!"

"No Usagi!" Minako started to run towards them. Usagi opened her clenched fist but the Ginzuishou wasn't there.

"What?" Mamoru's hand went to her throat. "Give me the crystal!"

"It was here!" Usagi began to cry, cure that he would kill Minako now.

Minako found a barrier between her and the princess. It wracked her body with pain when she hit before she flew backwards several feet, but was caught by the masked man.

""Kaitou?" Minako looked up at him before he set her down.

"I knew you were in danger still." The masked man told her. "Now, Venus, the senshi of love, we may be able to save him."

"H-how?" Minako asked fearfully as Endymion's hands kept their tight grip on Usagi's throat.

"The jack of hearts, the memory of love." The masked man pulled out a card. "I'll open the barrier for you."

"Kaitou, I—" Minako began.

"No, not now. Your princess is first." The masked man reminded her. He hit the barrier with four aces. Minako ran in between them, jumping and landing with a flip to slap the card on Endymion's back.

"Venus Power!" Minako yelled. Mamoru's eyes grew wide and he shook violently, releasing Usagi. The cuffs faded and Usagi fell to the ground. The cards dropped as the barrier disappeared. Endymion passed out on the ground.

"Usagi!" Minako ran to her.

"Mina-chan…" Usagi looked past her, her parents and Shingo had faded too. "I thought it was a nightmare…"

"It's okay, Usagi-chan." Minako comforted her. "It's okay." Minako looked up at the approaching masked man.

"Princess Venus, it's good to see you again. I must go." The masked man bowed. "I'll come back soon to see you."

"Kaitou!" Minako called out. He turned and gave her a two-finger wave. Usagi?" The blonde went limp, her eyes closing. "Usagi!"

---------------------

Another scene I wrote a year ago. Now before a bunch of angry reviewers bombard me with why evil Mamoru was so evil, give me a chance to explain. Evil Mamoru in the manga is much more evil than the one in the anime. He kills one of Motoki's friends and goes under his name to try and mess with Usagi's mind. Plus he seemed hell bent on killing Usagi when he was evil until of course she either a) stabbed him in the manga, or b) pulled out the magical locket of love in the anime. Plus, for those of you who are Fushigi Yugi fans, Tamahome turned evil and he did all sorts of really evil stuff. Like beat up Tasuki! (Even though that is my favorite fight…) So, yeah, I feel pretty okay with Mamoru being evil. But what will happen now? Find out!


	20. Like We Needed MORE Angst

And I'm back. With a vengeance. Heh, not really. But I wanted to update I guess. You guys want an update right? That's a silly question! And now for stuff…

Notes: Okay, Kaitou's gonna be in this chapter. Kaitou Ace is a character in Codename wa Sailor V. Now, the story of what happened between him and Minako _is _going to be explained eventually in _this_ story. But if you want to know before that happens then I suggest going to a website called 'The Manga of Naoko Takeuchi'. It has English translations of Codename wa Sailor V for those of us who can't read French or Japanese. If you have trouble finding the website then please **e-mail** me and I will send the URL to you. You shouldn't have to but just in case.

Another note: I think Yaten and Hotaru's song for this story is 'Wicked Game' by Chris Isaak. Seriously, I'm listening to it and 'I Ran' by Flock of Seagulls over and over again when I write this story. So get some mood music! Or not.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Warnings: A lot of angst. (As you can imagine.) Here goes!

-------------------

Close Your Eyes

Chapter Nineteen

-------------------

"What did he do to her?" Makoto looked only moments away from marching to the Dark Kingdom's base, storming in, and beating everyone to a pulp with her bare fists.

"I don't know." Minako answered truthfully. "Kaitou helped me put some sort of spell on Mamoru-san."

"Who is this Kaitou you keep talking about?" Ami asked, the only one of the Senshi who looked calm. Truth be told, she was in as much upset as the others but didn't want to add more chaos to the situation.

"Another time Minako-chan." Rei glided in, her billowing priestess robes adding an aura of mystery and wisdom to the violet-eyed girl. "I know what Mamoru did and…"

"What?" All three echoed.

"He killed her family and then he…then he made them dance." Rei grimaced and all of them felt a wave of sickness hit them. Even Ami's face looked green. "After that it got blurred, I believe he was attempting to…_assault_ her when Minako showed up."

"That sick bastard!" Makoto cursed, punching down on the table with her fist.

"He was brainwashed, he wouldn't do those sorts of things naturally." Rei opened the door to outside, the breeze ruffling her hair. "In my opinion, it should be Usagi who pronounces his punishment."

"Usagi-chan shouldn't have to!" Minako stood up. "She's our princess but I could never stand it if she was in that much pain."

"Usagi is the only one who can." Rei walked out of the room. The door opened and in walked a blonde-haired young man whose eyes lit up as he spotted Minako.

"Aino Minako-sama? Hime?" He spoke questioningly. Minako snapped to attention.

"Kaitou!" Minako ran towards him and he caught her in a tight warm embrace. "I never thought…I was sure…"

"I suppose that this is the Kaitou that Minako kept mentioning?" Ami asked Makoto who shrugged in reply.

"Maybe he has something to do with those aces of hearts that kept popping up." Makoto snapped her fingers as she made the connection.

"Minako…" Kaitou pulled her closed to himself. "Minako…" Minako pulled away though, she seemed to have recalled something.

"Your love will be hopeless for all eternity." Minako told him, his eyes widened with disbelief as she went back to sitting at the table, facing everyone else as though nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

"Um…" Makoto trailed off. "Minako-chan…"

"So now the question is what happens when Mamoru wakes up." Minako resumed the conversation, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling in the room.

"I say I get a few good hits." Makoto joked weakly. "We'll see when it happens I guess." Makoto didn't seem to know what else to say. "What if he's still…evil?"

"That is," Kaitou cleared his throat, his eyes shadowed. "A possibility. However, the power of Minako-hime combined with my own should have weakened it greatly. It may very well be that only your princess can break it."

"Usagi is waking up." Rei poked her head into the room. She blinked at Kaitou a few times. "I've been wondering when you'd show up."

"You know who he is?" Ami pushed up her glasses.

"In a manner of speaking." Rei looked at Minako who was sending her a brooding look. "Minako, you should be informed that I do not control my visions or who they are about so you can stop looking at me like that."

"We need to see Usagi." Minako flashed Rei a smile to reassure the raven-haired girl that she wasn't mad. They all walked to the bedroom where Usagi was awake and staring off into space.

"Usagi-chan?" Minako began in a soft voice.

"They're dead…" Usagi trailed off.

"We know." Rei took one of Usagi's hands into her own. "Don't try to hold it in, just cry." Usagi began to sob, sitting up and crying into Rei's robe and Rei rocked her carefully.

Rei had been meant to Usagi in the past and would be in the future, if the future where they could look back would come. Deep down, Rei treasured Usagi as the sister she never had. The teasing pushed Usagi forward, helped her to learn to accept criticism. Even though sometimes it seemed as though the two might hate each other, Rei really _was_ one of the best friends that Usagi ever had.

"The roses…they've always protected me…" Usagi got out through hiccupping sobs. "Okaa-san…"

"We're here." Rei whispered to her. She couldn't say it was going to be okay because she honestly didn't know. "We're here."

"I couldn't save her Rei! I couldn't save Shingo or otou-san…" Usagi went on, nowhere near consoled. "I'm not a princess or a solider…I couldn't save them!"

"You baka." Rei's eyes began to tear, she hated to see her friend like this. Without her hope or her unending optimism. "You're our princess. You think that means you can do everything? Only you would blame yourself. Baka…"

"Rei-chan…" Usagi pulled away from Rei. "Arigatou…but I think…I want to be by myself."

"Hime," Minako knelt down on one knee in front of Usagi. "Please don't make us leave." For a moment, Minako looked every bit the leader of the Inner Senshi and the guardian soldier of the planet Venus.

"You…you can stay. But just Minako." Usagi gave a troubled look through her tears at Rei. Rei gave her an understanding smile.

The other Senshi filed out as Minako sat by Usagi's bed. Usagi was surprised by Kaitou bowing to her as well.

"I wish to stay here with Minako-hime." Kaitou requested. Minako felt her anger flair but quickly pushed it down. Usagi nodded dumbly before putting her head back down on the pillow to cry. Kaitou sat on the floor quietly. Minako carefully did not look at him.

_How dare he?_

_ He doesn't understand about the princess or…or anything! _

_ Didn't he make that clear?_

"It wasn't Mamo-chan…" Usagi whispered. "It couldn't have been. Mamo-chan loved my parents when he met them…he played video games with Shingo. He isn't evil. No, this wasn't the real Mamoru. I know him. I trust him. Is our love doomed always? Mamoru…you called me Usagi-san. I didn't know why I was so happy but I do now. You finally showed your true self. Gomen…how could I doubt you?"

"Sometimes we believe that our love can never come to fruition because we believe we can never be as strong as the one we hold in our hearts. We don't believe that they would ever feel as we do. You must believe in your love." Kaitou's voice was solemn, his eyes locked with Minako's.

_I think Kaitou said something wise…but I…I'm too scared to admit it._

Minako couldn't believe that fate would be so cruel. But what could any of them do?

"Mamo-chan…" Usagi stared past both of them, tears softly falling on the pillow. "Mamo-chan…"

There was nothing they could do to comfort her.

------------------------

Setsuna was becoming seriously concerned. Hotaru had not come out of her room two days. What could be wrong with her? She had said yesterday every time that Setsuna knocked on her door that she was sick.

_It's more then that…_

"Hotaru?" Setsuna rapped her knuckles lightly on the door. "Can I come in?"

"I don't feel well." Hotaru's voice told her.

"Hotaru?" Setsuna put her hand on the doorknob. "Hotaru, I'm coming in."

"I don't want to see anyone right now." Hotaru's voice stopped her. Setsuna's eyes widened. What had caused this? "Just please…go away…"

Setsuna faltered a little before drawing away from the door completely, stepping back into the shadows of the hallway and leaning against a wall. She had never really gotten used to have another person around. She had always guarded the Gates alone and she had long since resigned to that fate.

That was until Hotaru had made her promise in her last life to take her as soon as she was born and let her live at the Gates of Time with her. For once, Setsuna did not have to spend her days by herself, trying to think of ways to keep her mind off the fact that she was utterly alone.

At first there was a baby to watch over, a beautiful little baby. Then a little girl with round curious eyes and an inquisitive nature. Before long, she had grown into the teenager she was today. It had all happened so fast…

Hotaru was a daughter to her. Not only a daughter but a sister and a companion. It was hard to think of life without Hotaru now.

_It should be easy to accept…if Hotaru needs to be without me…_

_----------------------_

_"Just GO!" _

Hotaru knew she was a mess. She had been lying on her bed for two whole days, trying to understand what had happened between her and Yaten. They had both attacked the weakest parts of the other. Hotaru wished she could go back and time and not have been in the living room when Seiya had come home.

_If he saw…didn't he see me pull away? _

_ Didn't he see me leave?_

But that wasn't the whole problem, even she knew that. It was so many things all at once. Why had he pushed her away from him? Was he scared to let her get close to him even though he wanted to let her in?

Did he now? Or maybe the reason he had yelled at her to leave was because he simply couldn't stand the idea of her anymore…he had called her ugly. Did he really mean it?

_I don't want to have to forget about him…_

_ But how can I let him in? _

----------------------

Half-curious, half-hoping that she wouldn't catch him; Yaten peeked into the living room. Unfortunately, Kakyuu was looking at the doorway when he did and their eyes locked.

"Yaten?" Kakyuu's head tilted to one side.

"I was just…" Yaten tried to search for an excuse, dropping his eyes. He had wanted to talk to her; he had felt guilty for once. "Looking for something."

"Oh, what is it?" Kakyuu inquired with an eager to please smile.

"Nothing, it's stupid." Yaten shook his head and turned, clearly intending to leave but Kakyuu stopped him.

"Yaten, can I talk to you for a few moments?" Kakyuu asked and Yaten who had half wanted to talk to her felt himself turning and walking into the living room, sitting in an armchair facing Kakyuu. She was dressed in normal Earth clothes, which was still strange to see for him. Even in her stylish clothing and her long braid instead of the usual loops her royal bearing came through. It was easy to see she was a princess with her small hands folded just right in her lap and the way that she sat up straight on the couch, her back not touching the back of the couch.

"What do you want to talk about?" Yaten eyed her suspiciously.

"I know…I know that you're not happy with me." Kakyuu's red eyes looked down. "You were angry the other day…I would have been to."

"Forget it." Yaten didn't want to have to face her.

"I'm happy you were truthful." Kakyuu told him quickly. "I…I didn't expect anyone to be happy to see me. That's why I followed you…"

"I'm not mad at you." Yaten stated and Kakyuu blinked in surprise. "I was angry because of everything that happened before we left. You weren't listening to anyone but those stupid advisors. You didn't see how it was affecting anyone. I thought it was selfish…but what do I know?"

_"Yaten…I…"_

_ I don't want to think about you but you won't leave me in peace…_

_ I've never thought about the way someone else was feeling this way…_

_ I only saw others hurting the ones that loved them the most. And the way that I hurt you…_

"I want you to tell me those things." Kakyuu told him. "I want you to be able to tell us how you feel Yaten. You're always hiding what you're thinking."

_"I don't want you to hold back like you always do!"_

"That's because no one wants my thoughts." Yaten murmured and he stood up, leaving the room. Kakyuu could only look after him, wondering why he seemed so occupied. What had happened to Yaten? The others were being strangely closed mouthed about what they had been doing as of late.

_It's because I didn't think of any of you when I said I would marry._

_ All of you are slipping away from me…will we ever be as close as we once were? Or will there always be secrets now?_

--------------------------

Seiya had been out picking out the perfect cakes for Kakyuu to try over tea and had finally gotten home after what felt like hours looking at small cakes. He had a box of them and he was about to go into the living room where Kakyuu had taken to being already.

But just as he was about to go in, he heard two voices.

"This house is very nice." Kakyuu was saying. "I can see why you settled in here."

"I miss my home on Kinmokusei." Taiki's voice made Seiya peer into the living room, trying to stay hidden. Kakyuu and Taiki were both sitting on the couch and they were drinking tea. He felt an instant surge of jealousy at the sight.

_They're just talking…_

Then Kakyuu was going for her cup after she had set it down and her hand bumped into the cup, not knocking it over but causing hot liquid to splash on her hand. She made a small noise but bit her lip immediately to try and hold it in.

"Kakyuu-hime!" Taiki went forward and his hands took hold of her hurt one. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine." Kakyuu looked at him gratefully. "It was only a small burn and it doesn't really hurt."

"I should go get a cold washcloth, just to make sure." Taiki said but Seiya noticed that he was just sitting there, holding Kakyuu's hand, staring into Kakyuu's eyes. Seiya's fist clenched.

_Always…_

_ There is always someone between us. _

Taiki got up and let go of Kakyuu's hand, going to go into the kitchen through the other entrance to the living room. Seiya couldn't stand it and went inside the living room.

"Oh, Seiya!" Kakyuu smiled brightly at him. "What do you have there?"

"I bought cakes to go with tea but…you and Taiki are already having tea." Seiya said in an accusatory tone as he put the box down on the table.

"Well, we looked for you but you weren't here." Kakyuu looked down at her hands. "Gomen nasai, Seiya, we should have waited."

"Hime…" Seiya sat down on the couch next to her. Kakyuu's eyes went up to his own. "I've been wondering. When we do go back to Kinmokusei…are you going to get married?"

"I…can't." Kakyuu confessed, her eyes darting down as she shook her head. Her eyes glanced back up. They searched his face for…something… "I told you that. I can't get married. I thought I could do it. I was supposed to, it was my duty. I knew I would be unhappy…he wasn't who I wanted to marry."

"Who did you want to marry?" Seiya questioned.

"I…" Kakyuu's mouth went dry and her words got stuck in her throat. She looked away. "Taiki told me about Usagi." Seiya couldn't believe it. Taiki had told Kakyuu the whole story?

"That's over with." Seiya said shortly.

"I just thought it was horrible that the girl you loved—!" Kakyuu was cut off as Seiya's hand went up, tilting her chin towards him.

"I thought I was in love with Usagi." Seiya began, his voice firm, and Kakyuu felt like she couldn't possibly look away from his hypnotic blue eyes. "I really did. But it was because I wanted to forget about how much it hurt…when you told us you were going to marry another man." Kakyuu's eyes widened. "That's when I knew that you were never going to love me. You were going to get married and I couldn't stand to watch it happen. I was going to have a girl fall in love with me and I thought it would prove that someone wanted me. But she didn't. It wasn't a real love…maybe she knew that…"

"Seiya…" Kakyuu's eyes were beginning to form tears. "I _do _love you. That's why I couldn't get married…I couldn't stand the idea of being so far apart from you and even when you returned…everything was wrong." A tear rolled down her cheek.

He pressed his lips against her cheek, kissing the tear away. The salty taste touched his tongue as he pulled away. His face was still inches from her own. She leaned in and closed the space between the two. Taiki came back into the living room and quietly backed out again when he saw the two.

Taiki smiled at the two. Even though he harbored his own feelings for Kakyuu, he knew the two of them were in love. In a way, it made life a little easier not to see the two so obviously unhappy.

----------------------

What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way…what a wicked thing to do to let me dream of you…what a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way…what a wicked thing to do to let me dream of you, and I wanna fall in love…Great, song totally stuck in my head now. I really only have myself to blame. Okay, so once again, I know the Kaitou thing is _really _confusing for people who have not read Codename wa Sailor V, but I swear it does get explained. Also, I forgot to comment on this last chapter but yes, Yaten is kind of an asshole in this story and I completely agree with that. But I don't really control him, he kind of writes himself. I'm like, "Yaten, be nice!" and he just ignores me. Okay, well please review! And next chapter, we'll see if evil Mamoru is still evil or not…


	21. FINALLY, You Two!

Yahhh, Close Your Eyes has 200 reviews! I never really thought I'd see the day. This is actually my most popular SM fanfic! Bells and whistles go off Which means I must be doing _something _right.

Um, by the way kiddos, I wrote this three part story of the fall of the Silver Millennium so if you have nothing better to do after you read this chapter, you could always go read 'Our Kingdom Disdain.' Don't you like self-plugging?

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Warning: I dare you to GUESS if there's angst in this chapter.

-------------------

Close Your Eyes

Chapter Twenty

-------------------

"Mamoru's awake." Rei told Usagi who looked up at her. "He can't move because of my ofuda…meaning he's not completely cleansed." Minako, who was sitting on the edge of the bed next to Usagi, looked a bit alarmed. Kaitou didn't say anything at all.

"Usagi-chan…you don't have to go if you aren't ready." Minako told her princess.

"I…I want to see him." Usagi said, her face attempting to show bravery but falling short. "I have to see him." Rei and Minako's faces were both doubtful.

"As I already stated, it may be that the Tsuki no Hime is the only one who can fully cleanse him." Kaitou spoke up and Usagi gave him a grateful look. Minako gave Kaitou a slightly cold look and then stood up.

"Come on, it probably is time that you saw him." Minako finally amended, offering a hand to Usagi who took it and was soon standing and followed them into the shrine, where the sacred fire was located.

He lay there, unmoving, an ofuda on his chest that warded away evil spirits but could also stop them dead in their tracks.

"The jack of hearts is still attached to his back?" Kaitou questioned Rei who nodded. "It will fall off when the memories of love come back to him."

Usagi was stuck, staring at Mamoru. She didn't know what to do at that moment. Her family was dead and here was the killer, the man she had loved in two different lifetimes.

_"So you're saying I could be the most horrible person ever but if I mend my ways, you'd like me?" _

_ "Yes." Usagi nodded. _

_ "Suppose I kill a bunch of people." Mamoru raised his eyebrows challengingly. _

_ "Then I would punish you!" Usagi struck a pose. _

"Mamoru." Usagi put one foot in front of the other and walked towards the dark-haired young man. When she was next to him and his eyes blinked, focusing on her, she knelt down next to him.

"It's you." It was an accusation and Usagi gulped. Was she really up this? Did she really think she could do this?

"Yes…it's me." Usagi gave him a tentative smile. "It's Tsukino Usagi. You used to call me Odango Atama…just to annoy me I guess. You really got on my nerves sometimes!" Then she took a deep breath. "But then things changed and we fell in love."

"I only love Queen Beryl." Mamoru replied mechanically.

"She kidnapped you and brainwashed you." Usagi tried to explain. "I don't expect you to remember me…but…would you really forget your princess? You wanted to be with her so much…she was always there in your dreams, your only comfort. Did you forget her?"

Mamoru's brow furrowed, he was trying to push away thoughts that were making his mind feel like it was splitting in two.

_"The Ginzuishou…" _

"You thought the princess might be someone else…" Usagi went on. "You broke my heart to tell me that you wanted to be with her. But you still loved me and so we got to be happy and I sat there hoping the princess never came. It turned out alright in the end. I'm the princess."

"How do I know that anything you're saying is true?" Mamoru asked her in a demanding voice.

"You said we could be happy, if I let you make me happy." Usagi reminded him. "And we were…we were happy…no matter what else happens."

_"Someone told me that you can't predict the future. Things don't always end up perfect."_

_Did I say that?_

_ Is she telling me the truth? _

_ And why does my head feel like it's coming apart at the seams?_

"Even if you don't believe me…I…one more time…" Usagi bent over him, putting her hands on his shoulders, pressing her lips softly against his own, eyes closed. A faint glowing was seen escaping from where their lips had met.

The light became stronger and stronger until Minako found it hard to look out and held up an arm to shield the light. Mamoru started to sit up as the kiss continued and as he did, they saw the jack of hearts fall from his back and onto the floor. Mamoru was fully sitting up and Usagi pulled her lips away, opening her eyes to see a white light forming in the space where their lips had met.

"The Ginzuishou…" Usagi whispered in awe. Mamoru's eyes opened and saw it. His hand started to touch it as though transfixed by what he saw. "Mamo-chan…"

"Usako." The one word made Usagi burst into tears. The Ginzuishou flashed one last time before falling in her outstretched hands. She took one look at it and threw her arms around Mamoru, who hugged her back. "You look happy to see me. What happened?" Usagi stiffened.

"He doesn't remember?!" Minako was shocked. Usagi pulled away from Mamoru, looking deeply troubled and it was little wonder.

"Not what he did while he was brainwashed." Kaitou shook his head. "His memories will come back to him…they always come back…"

"What's going on? The last thing I remember is you turning into the princess and then…it all goes black." Mamoru frowned and his hand went up to his head and he rubbed it a few times. He looked from Usagi's saddened face to the serious expressions on the three others. "What happened?"

"Mamoru-san—" Rei began hesitantly but Usagi cut her off.

"Don't!" Usagi surprised them all by saying that. "Don't tell him…don't tell him…okay Rei?" It was tearing Usagi up inside the idea of telling Mamoru of the bad things he had done now that she finally had him back.

"Usagi-chan…demo…he has to know." Rei frowned.

"Usako…what happened?" Mamoru put a hand on her shoulder. She shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"I can't tell you Mamo-chan…I can't tell you…" Usagi spoke in a pleading voice. She didn't want to have to do this.

"Do you really think you can keep it from him?" Minako asked her seriously.

"It's better to know." Kaitou added on. Mamoru looked at him curiously.

"Who are you?" Mamoru questioned.

"It's not important." Kaitou's eyes lowered to the floor. "It's time for your princess to tell you what happened."

"I can't!" Usagi sobbed. "I can't do it."

"Usagi-chan…gomen nasai…" Rei's eyes shut in pain. She couldn't look at Usagi's big blue eyes, so full of turmoil any longer. "Mamoru-san, you were brainwashed by the Dark Kingdom." Mamoru's eyes widened in horror. "And while you were under that evil spell…you tried to get the Ginzuishou from Usagi by threatening to kill her family…but she would not cooperate with you."

"No…" Mamoru's voice was so soft and terrified that it took everything in Rei to go on.

"Her family is dead, murdered by your roses." Rei's words were the final blow. Mamoru's hand fell away from Usagi's shoulder. Kaitou's face was strangely understanding at that moment while Minako's eyes were starting to fill with tears and her lip was trembling.

"U-Usako…" Mamoru could barely speak, his throat felt tight and restricted. "I…I killed your family?"

Usagi could not even bring herself to look at him. She just nodded her head. Mamoru stood up, looking at his hands with a shocked, almost disbelieving expression.

"Mamo-chan." Usagi looked up at him and Mamoru felt as though he could not be in any more pain, causing Usagi's pain and doing something so terrible. He was worse then the cruelest villain. He suddenly turned and ran from the room, Rei and Minako had to step aside quickly so he wouldn't run into them. "Mamo-chan!" Usagi cried out after him but he ignored it and kept running.

"Rei!" Minako rounded on the violet-eyed priestess. "How could you?! How could you tell him…you knew how bad Usagi felt…how bad he would feel…" Minako was trying so hard not to cry. "I can't protect her from anything…I'm not a true guardian…" And with that she threw herself against Rei who quickly put her arms around her and hugged her comfortingly. Rei put her head against Minako's.

"You're still her guardian and she still loves you." Rei murmured into her hair. She picked up her head and looked at Kaitou. "Perhaps you could go talk to Mamoru?"

"I…yes, I suppose I could." Kaitou looked surprised by her request but he turned to leave. They had to comfort their princess. And he could not comfort Minako.

_The princess…she is always first in Minako's heart…_

_ "My path ends, without ever reaching you…that is my fate…"_

That fateful day, the day he finally could reveal himself to Minako…everything had gone wrong. If he hadn't sold his soul for the power to be near her...But what else could he do? She never noticed him, not in the last life when he tried to be near her. How can a lowly soldier be near a princess? This was not a fairy tale.

Outside, he saw Mamoru, sitting on the top of the steps to the shrine. He had not run away completely, that was good. Perhaps he had not given up all his hopes of his princess forgiving him as Kaitou had abandoned his own.

_I had no hope…I had no trust in you Minako-hime…_

Kaitou carefully walked over and sat down to Mamoru. Mamoru turned to look at him and then back down the steps.

"Your princess needs you." Kaitou spoke in a gentle voice.

"I just wanted to protect her…how could I do something like this to her?" Mamoru sounded angry but Kaitou knew the anger was towards himself. "How could I hurt her like this?! How can she be happy with me around?"

"Do you think she can be happy without you around?" Kaitou asked, the question sending a pain into his own chest.

_It's too late. You asked yourself that too late. _

"I don't know." Mamoru answered and then he turned towards Kaitou. "Who are you?"

"I am Kaitou Ace but…I am also known as Adonis." Kaitou's brow furrowed. "And once, I was Danburite, the leader of the Dark Agency…part of the Dark Kingdom."

"You were part of the Dark Kingdom?!" Mamoru's eyes widened.

"Once." Kaitou's eyes were so far away and sad. "But while you were forced to such a fate, I chose that one."

"Why did you choose to be part of the Dark Kingdom?" Mamoru questioned the blonde-haired young man.

"For her." Kaitou answered softly. "I wanted to be near her…"

"Who?" Mamoru inquired.

"Minako-hime." Kaitou said the name as one might say the name of their beloved. "Fate is always against us…I am the one she is destined for…but that doesn't mean we can be together. But you," Kaitou turned his head towards him, looking him square in the eyes. "You can be with your princess and yet you want to run from her…she needs you. It is your destiny to be with her and fate is not against it. How can you run from something like that?"

Mamoru stared at the blonde-haired boy for a few moments, trying to work through what Kaitou had said to him. It all made so much sense…but to see Usagi like that…

_Is it selfish to want to be with her after what I've done to her?_

_ Her family…her entire family…_

"Don't ruin what you have." Kaitou said after a little bit. "Only you can comfort your princess."

"You tell me these things…but you yourself have given up on your princess." Mamoru spoke slowly. "If you're alive and Minako is alive, why can't you be with her?"

"I betrayed her…" Kaitou looked down, his eyes shadowed by his bangs. "She can never forgive me for what I've done. Your princess is willing to forgive you."

"Aino-san doesn't seem like the type to hold grudges." Mamoru observed. "I don't think you really gave up on her…otherwise, why are you here?" Kaitou looked stunned as Mamoru stood up. "Will she be happy without me? I don't think I could really stay away from her. I can't change anything, I can't take back what I did while under that evil spell, but I can go to her…" And with that he turned and as if on cue, Usagi came out of the building and saw him.

"Mamoru!" Usagi called out to him and he looked at her as Kaitou watched. She ran towards him and stopped a foot from him.

"Usako…I don't deserve your forgiveness…" Mamoru looked down at the ground.

"It wasn't really you though." Usagi told him. "You were under a spell and you couldn't stop yourself, you didn't know what you were doing! _You_ would never have killed them…you know what it means not to have family…"

"I did know…" Mamoru agreed slowly. "But then you became my family."

"I still am." Usagi sniffled, wiping the last few tears away from her face. "I'm still your family, Mamo-chan."

"Usako!" Mamoru pulled her into a hug and Usagi and him embraced tightly. Kaitou watched the scene, happy for the two and yet at the same time sad.

_Minako-hime…_

He saw her standing outside the building, looking at him before turning around and walking back inside.

_I thought that with my death, you would be happy…_

_ So why did you have tears in your eyes?_

_-----------------------_

"You know where the Dark Kingdom's hideout is?!" Ami couldn't believe it. They had finally hit on a piece of real luck. She didn't know how Kaitou knew this but she was happy to finally be putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

"D point, the North Pole." Kaitou told her.

"Then that's where we have to go." Usagi said determinedly.

-----------------------

She had finally left her room. Setsuna found that thought comforting as she listened to the sound of water running out of the shower in the other room. Maybe she could convince Hotaru to go grocery shopping with her when she got out of the shower.

The water shut off a few minutes later and Hotaru emerged from the shower in her bathrobe, a towel wrapped around her head.

"Hotaru-chan?" Setsuna said, hesitating a little.

"Yes?" Hotaru turned towards her. Setsuna smiled a little, feeling somewhat reassured.

"Would you like to go grocery shopping with me after you get dressed?" Setsuna asked her.

"Hai." Hotaru replied before going back into her room to put some clothes on. A little while later, she emerged, her hair combed, her clothes on. Setsuna gathered up her purse and her shopping list and out the door they went.

Hotaru was quiet, she was usually quiet, but she was looking around with a melancholy expression. She didn't know what to do about Yaten or what to say.

_He doesn't want to see me anyways…_

She stepped onto the bus, her head hanging, wondering if she was ever going to feel happy again.

-----------------------

Yaten walked along the sidewalk, trying to gather his thoughts together. Some part of him wanted to tell the others about what had happened but he had never been one for sharing his feelings with others. It seemed like too much to let them in. And what could they say to make it better?

He looked up, a bus lumbered past him and he saw a face looking out one of the windows that made him stop completely.

A pair of lavender eyes looked it, ones full of longing and slight disbelief that they had seen him but the bus went on and Yaten could only watch the vehicle go further and further away.

_You look so sad…_

_ Why are you so sad? _

----------------------

She couldn't feel any worse, seeing him, there on the sidewalk. Part of her wanted to shout for the bus to stop and run to him but she didn't. She was too scared to face him anymore.

_You sent me away…_

Hotaru was following Setsuna up the front steps towards their building, grocery bags in her hands when she wondered if she could spend another day away from him. Seeing him, his green eyes so clearly focusing on her…she needed that.

She needed to see him and talk to him.

One more night was too much to bear.

"Gomen nasai Setsuna!" Hotaru dropped her grocery bags, turned away from the green-haired woman, and ran back down the steps and then turned onto the sidewalk.

"Hotaru?!" Setsuna called after her but Hotaru didn't turn back. Setsuna smiled to herself.

_Find your happiness Hotaru-chan._

-----------------------

Knocking on the door, Hotaru had only a few moments to try and catch her breath after running so far before Taiki answered the door. He opened his mouth to ask her a question, probably wanting to know what she was doing there but then closed his mouth and stepped aside, gesturing for Hotaru to proceed.

She ran past him, ran through the living room and into the hallway, going to Yaten's door. Her heart pounded as her hand closed on the doorknob and she twisted it, gathering all her courage together as she burst into the room.

Yaten sat straight up on his bed, staring at her in shock, his mouth opening as though he wanted to say something but he wasn't sure what to say.

"I…" Hotaru knew that this was it. This was her last chance. She couldn't be the coward this time. "I love you!" It came out so suddenly that she cringed and she put her hand on her mouth, wondering if she had just ruined it.

_Maybe he doesn't love me anymore…_

_ But I had to say it, I had to!_

"I love you and I don't care if you hate me." Hotaru shook her head, looking down before looking up suddenly. "I had to tell you…I'll go…"

"Don't." The one word made Hotaru look at him as though what she had heard was too good to be true. "Don't leave me." Hotaru rushed towards him, her small body made contact with his own and he wrapped his arms around her. "Hotaru…"

"Just hold me." Hotaru pleaded with him in a murmur. "If you want to hold onto something…I want you to hold onto me."

He buried his face in her dark locks, feeling the softness of her silky hair against his face. His arms only tightened around her, so scared that it wasn't real, that if he let go, she would disappear.

"You're so beautiful…" Yaten whispered and Hotaru pulled away a little, looking up at him with her big lavender eyes full of tears. "You don't know it but you are…"

"I wanted you to know about me. I was scared to let you in…to tell you everything." Hotaru gulped. "No one is supposed to know but if you want to know me…"

"I do." Yaten looked at her curiously. What was about Hotaru that she wasn't supposed to tell him? "I…I think I should tell you something as well."

_Because Kakyuu is here…the others…they'll want to go back soon._

"You're not going to believe me." Hotaru looked down and Yaten tilted her chin up with one hand.

"Try me." Yaten told her. He decided it would be more comfortable to sit back against his pillows and he moved, and then held out his arms so that Hotaru could cuddle up next to him. "I think you'll have a harder time believing me than I will of believing you."

"A long time ago…" Hotaru started her story. "There was a beautiful kingdom and it was on the Moon. There was a queen and a princess. The princess had protectors, special guardians from each planet. They were called the Sailor Senshi." Yaten froze completely, his mouth went dry. "There was one in particular; she was the Senshi of Saturn, feared because her powers could destroy a whole planet. She lived in whole life in solitude. At the end of it, she had to use her powers to destroy what was left of the Moon Kingdom. Before she died, she asked Sailor Pluto, the Senshi of Time, to find her when she was reborn and let her live with Sailor Pluto at the Gates of Time.

"Sailor Pluto did this and raised Sailor Saturn all by herself at the Gates of Time. Every once and awhile they had to go out into the world to make sure that the timeline stayed on the correct path. One time Sailor Pluto feared that the timeline wouldn't go along it's correct course unless Sailor Saturn distracted someone so that the princess from the time of Moon Kingdom could end up with her prince. But things didn't work out right and Sailor Saturn fell in love with someone else. She's supposed to go back to the Gates of Time eventually, so that Sailor Pluto doesn't have to be alone but she doesn't want to leave the person she loves." Hotaru finished her story, looking up at Yaten's stricken face. After a few moments he recovered.

"And I thought that nothing you could say would shock me…" Yaten smiled weakly. "Sailor Senshi?"

"You don't believe me." Hotaru looked downcast.

"No, I do." Yaten corrected her and Hotaru blinked in confusion. "Because…our tales are very similar."

"How?" Hotaru sat straight up, looking at him.

"I'm not from Earth. I'm from a planet faraway called Kinmokusei." Yaten told her. "I'm Sailor Star Healer, one of the protectors of the princess there, named Kakyuu. There are three of us."

"Taiki and Seiya?!" Hotaru guessed the other two.

"Kakyuu's here now as well." Yaten took a deep breath. "Kakyuu-hime was going to get married to a nobleman and Seiya was in love with her. He couldn't watch her get married to someone so he asked if we could go somewhere else, to Earth. That's why we are here."

"I didn't know there was Sailor Senshi outside our solar system…" Hotaru trailed off. Then she seemed to realize something. "Does this mean…you're going to leave?"

It was the question he was dreading the most.

"I…don't know." Yaten finally answered. "I don't really know." After that, they were both quiet, just relaxing in the other's arms.

_Our duties separate us…_

_ If we weren't destined for each other…why did we have to meet and fall in love? _

_------------------------_

In my chapter summaries that I made up for the remaining chapters, it was actually _Rei_ that I had written down as going to talk to Mamoru. But Kaitou did a good job! (He has to be able to do _something _right.) I am too hard on Kaitou, but I'm still mad at him for events in the Sailor V manga! Grrrrr. Not too many more chapters left of this story, which makes me both happy that I'm finally finishing and sad that it's almost over! But don't worry, plenty of angst left for our characters! Please review and stuff!


	22. The North Pole Sucks

What's with the rapid updating? I have no idea. But I don't think anyone's really arguing with the new chapters showing up. I just really feel like writing this story. It might be the fact that I won't stop playing a certain two songs over and over again. I do so quietly so I won't annoy the other members of the household. Alas, most of the time now when I write, I just listen to one song over and over again. I think I have all the German words to '99 Red Balloons' memorized by now and I don't speak one word of German. Oh well, that's a completely different fanfic altogether…

Just a note: Okay, I don't know the exact rules of the Sailor Teleport, other then what I mention in the story and I'm taking AU privileges and saying I can do whatever I want.

More Notes: (PLEASE READ THIS ONE) '_Game Endless_' comes from the Sailor V manga. It's what appears on the screen of the Sailor V game so that she can go into headquarters. (Which as you might know from the Sailor Moon manga are located under the Sailor V machine.) This will make one of the scenes make much more sense for you guys.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Codename wa Sailor V or anything else.

Warnings: Sad chapter. But hey, at least we get Kaitou's story…

----------------

Close Your Eyes

Chapter Twenty-One

----------------

After discussing it with Luna and Artemis, the two cat guardians said that they should go to the D point of the North Pole by way of the Sailor Teleport.

"But wait, the Sailor Teleport can only take one extra person." Artemis pointed out as they all sat outside Rei's shrine. It was night time now and with the winking stars above them and the wind rustling peacefully in the trees, it was hard to imagine that a great evil was present on their planet.

"Prince Endymion has his own powers." Luna argued. "I think he wouldn't be an extra person. And so does Kaitou Ace."

"I guess I didn't really think about that." Artemis nodded his head. "Then the Sailor Teleport would be best."

"Everyone has to transform." Luna explained to them. The five Sailor Senshi nodded at each other and then held their hands up, four henshin pens and a broach in the air.

"Moon Prism Power!"

"Mars Power!"

"Mercury Power!"

"Jupiter Power!"

"Venus Power!"

"Make-UP!"

When the Sailor Senshi were done transforming, they saw that Tuxedo Kamen and Kaitou Ace had both transformed by this time. They were both wearing masks and while Mamoru was holding a rose, Kaitou was holding a card in his hand, obviously ready for an attack. With a small gesture the card disappeared.

They all joined hands, forming a large circle and began to concentrate all their power. Everyone focused on the goal, which was going to the D point of the North Pole, to stop the Dark Kingdom once and for all.

"Sailor!" Luna yelled sharply.

"Teleport!" Artemis finished and light surrounded each one and went towards the sky in a rainbow of color. They were lifted off the ground and then, they were gone. Artemis and Luna looked at each other seriously.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Luna asked him, obviously worried.

"I think so." Artemis gave her a small reassuring smile.

-------------------

Usagi was so warm, bathed in light, and then she felt horribly cold. It was like she had landed in ice water, it was so cold.

"It's freezing!" Minako declared, obviously unhappy about the weather conditions.

"It's the _North Pole_." Rei reminded her. "Not exactly a summer vacation spot."

"Remind me to kill whoever designed these outfits." Makoto rubbed her arms with her hands, trying to retain some of her body heat. Ami pulled out her visor and checked around with it.

"It's in that direction." Ami declared, watching her visor light up and the data readings going by her eyes. "We'll have to walk."

"Let's hope we don't get lost." Makoto looked around with a slight sense of panic at the idea. Everything was white here, it would be impossible to tell where they were going if they didn't have Ami and her visor.

"We probably won't get lost." Rei said, her tone was full of warning.

_I have a horrible feeling…something bad is going to happen…_

----------------------

Beryl watched the scene in her crystal ball and flew into a rage. Had there been any of the Shittenou left, she probably would have killed them at that moment. How could this happen? How could they have turned Endymion back?

_She doesn't deserve you…she never could…_

"Doom and Gloom Girls!" Beryl snapped at the crowd of apprehensive youma who were obviously terrified for their lives. What appeared to be five women stepped forward, all with wings and bright, colorful skin.

"Beryl-sama?" The leader asked carefully.

"You will destroy the Sailor Senshi." Beryl commanded them. "Especially the Moon Princess!"

"Your wish is our command." The five Doom and Gloom Girls said together.

----------------------

"We've been walking forever…" Minako trailed off, she was weary of walking in the wind and snow and ice.

"We'll be there soon." Ami replied, trying to keep morale up among her comrades. Usagi was huddled into Mamoru's cape as she walked along so she was a little warmer then the others.

"Makoto-chan?" The male voice made them all turn. Makoto had a disbelieving expression on her face as she saw a tall young man with a kind smile and gentle eyes.

"Sempai?" Makoto blinked in her eyes in confusion but his image did not fade.

"Sempai?" Minako turned and whispered to Rei who only shrugged and shook her head.

"Makoto-chan, come here…" The boy opened his arms. "I've missed you so much."

"Makoto-chan!" Ami called out in alarm, her visor showing her the truth of the matter. "Don't go near that thing! It's not human!"

"What?" Makoto had already started to go forward when she turned her back to look at Ami. This was her mistake. The illusion changed into a winged woman who shot tentacles out at her and grabbed a hold of her limbs.

"Makoto!" Usagi stepped forward in horror as Makoto struggled to go forward against her bonds. The winged woman tugged sharply and Makoto went flying back and four other youma women with wings surrounded Makoto as she fought with the first one.

"We've got to help her!" Minako declared.

"How will we hit them without hurting her?" Rei asked as she watched the winged women.

"Just attack!" They heard Makoto gasp. "Don't worry about me!"

"We can't just attack!" Usagi looked terrified of the idea. "We have to think of another way!"

"There is no other way!" Makoto yelled at them. "Get them now!" They all hesitated, unsure of what to do. Makoto herself was angry. Not at them, they were her friends and asking them to go ahead and attack with her right there was asking them a very hard thing.

She was angry at being tricked, at being stupid, at these youma for using the one thing against her that she thought would no longer hurt.

_Sempai…you're my weakness…_

She was supposed to be the strong one and here she was, trapped by these youma while the others tried to figure out some plan. Makoto refused to let this happen and so suddenly turned on her captor, no longer trying to get away from her.

_So the rest of you can go on…_

"SUPREME THUNDER!" Makoto screamed and the lightening hit the youma as the other youma quickly moved out of harms way by going under the ice and snow. But as she was wrapped around in this creature's tentacles, she was electrocuted as well, large amounts of electricity were running through her all at once.

And then there was a huge explosion and when it cleared, Makoto was hanging upside down from a huge thing of ice; the monster she had wanted to kill was dead. She knew she was dying, she knew she was fading from existence. She looked at her fellow Senshi and her princess.

"Makoto!" Usagi cried out and she fell to her knees. "Makoto!"

"Go on Usagi-chan…" Makoto gave her a weak smile. "You have to keep going…"

And Makoto's eyes closed, her whole body going limp at once. Rei turned her head away to hide her tears. Ami was stricken with grief. If only she had warned Makoto sooner...Minako had tears running down her own face, and Usagi was outright crying, something they all wanted to do

But now was not the time. They couldn't let Makoto's death be in vain.

"Come on Usagi." Minako tugged on Usagi's shoulder but Usagi just jerked away from her.

"No, I can't." Usagi shook her head. "Not without Makoto-chan…it's not right…if Beryl wants the Ginzuishou, she can have it! I just want Makoto back!"

In a moment that shocked everyone, Ami walked forward purposefully and smacked Usagi across the face. Usagi held her cheek and looked at Ami with eyes full of tears.

"Are you going to make Makoto's death mean nothing?" Ami asked the blonde-haired girl. "We have to keep moving." Ami's eyes were serious and anyone could see that Ami was trying her best to hold back her own emotions.

"Ami's right." Mamoru knelt down by Usagi. "We do have to keep going, for Makoto's sake."

Usagi sniffled and wiped her face before standing up slowly. They ushered her forward but she turned to look at Makoto one last time, laying there on that large thing of ice and having a hard time coming to terms with the idea that Makoto was dead.

_It's not supposed to be this way. _

They began walking again but soon, a small blinking light on Ami's visor showed that the winged youma were following them. They were under the ice.

"Everyone, go on without me." Ami told them, stopping and turning to face the youma who were approaching through the ice.

"We can't just leave you here Ami-chan!" Usagi protested right away. "After what happened to Makoto-chan…"

"Please, I have to hold the youma back so you can go forward." Ami spoke in a pleading voice. "Just keep going, I'll catch up with you." It was a lie and everyone present there knew it was a lie. "Go! Do you want to wait for them to attack us all?"

They reluctantly left the blue-haired Senshi there by herself. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She was scared, terrified really, but she had to do _something. _

"Come on…" Ami whispered, her whole face felt numb from the cold.

One burst out of the ice and grabbed a hold of her legs. Before she could react, it pulled her down and she went under the ice as well.

---------------------

A huge explosion, similar to the one that had followed when Makoto had done her attack, resounded around them. Usagi whipped around and started trying to run back but Mamoru grabbed her arms and pulled her back.

"There's nothing you can do for her." Minako told the hysterical princess. "We have to keep moving."

"What's the point of going on?!" Usagi asked her, she could barely see through her tears. "What's the point without them?"

"The point is that you have a duty!" Rei told her, her voice as fiery and passionate as the element she drew power from. "You have to save the world from the Dark Kingdom! You have to protect the people of Earth! How are you going to do that if you want to give up now and go home?"

"I just want them back…" Usagi shook her head and Mamoru let go of her. She seemed unable to move from that spot but Minako saw that the ice underneath her was glowing blue and so she ran, shoving Usagi out of the way as one of the youma burst out of the ice.

It grabbed Minako and flew up in the air with her. Kaitou stepped forward, throwing one of his cards. It cut through the hand of the youma and it promptly dropped Minako.

Kaitou ran forward and caught her in his arms.

"Minako-hime! Are you okay?" Kaitou asked her.

"I…I think so." Minako nodded and he put her back on her feet. They looked at each other and a clear understanding past between them. Minako looked down, not able to watch Usagi's face as she spoke. "Rei, Mamoru, take care of the princess."

"Minako-chan, you can't!" Usagi cried. "Don't leave me!"

"I have to." Minako looked up and into her eyes. "This is the way things have to be Usagi. It's not me that has to fight the Dark Kingdom, it's you. Mamoru and Rei will be with you."

"Good luck my friend." Rei grabbed Usagi's arm as she spoke to Minako. They shared a smile, the last smile between them and Rei turned, pulling Usagi after her. Usagi did not want to go.

"I won't!" Usagi tried to dig her heels in. "I won't leave Minako here! I don't want her to die!"

"Tsuki no Hime…" Kaitou set his face. "I will be here with Minako-hime, she won't die alone."

Two of the winged youma burst out of the ice around Minako and Kaitou and Rei had to yank Usagi back sharply. Mamoru grabbed Usagi's arm and they both tried to pull her away from Minako and Kaitou who were pushed against each other by the youma.

The tentacles surrounded them and Minako knew the youma were attempting to smother them to death.

_I don't die so easily…_

"Kaitou…" Minako struggled against the crushing power of the tentacles that seemed to want her ribs to break. She wanted to tell him so many things at that moment but she didn't know where to begin.

_It seems like so long ago…I had to win the audition and be the love interest in your phony movie…I didn't know you were the enemy…I thought you were the love of my life…_

_ "In the language of flowers," Kaitou handed a dahlia to her. "It means fickleness." He leaned over, pressing his lips against her cheek. _

_ "I ask of you earnestly, don't be unfaithful…"_

_ I was confused then, I thought you might be the special person who was haunting my dreams, crying out for my help. The one I was so protect. _

_ "The ace of clubs." Kaitou pulled a card from the deck. "A crossroads in fortune, do you love me?" _

_ "I-I love you!" Minako declared, not understanding his abrupt question. _

_ "A lie." Kaitou said while dropping the card to the ground. _

_ That's when I realized that I wasn't the Ai no Megami…I never committed myself just to love. I had to be Sailor V and I had to find my one special person and protect them. Everything got so confusing…_

_ "I love you, don't I?"_

_ Then the attack happened and I had to fight. I protected you the best I could but then as you seemed convinced that I really loved you…that's when I figured out that you weren't the person I was meant to protect. _

_ And you disappeared._

Kaitou tried to brace himself against the pain but it was so much. Minako was looking at him with her large blue eyes and he couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking in these final moments. Was she thinking about the past? And the way it had all crumbled to pieces?

_I said that I would be the one to defeat you. I was finally powerful enough that you would notice me but it was all wrong. I told you that I was Danburite and then that I was Adonis, your mystical lover. The person you were destined for. _

_ But you hadn't noticed me in our last life…I was just a foot soldier, no rank, nothing to stand out among the many who wanted to catch your eye. You were devoted to your princess and I wanted you to be devoted to me that way. _

_ When you sell your soul to the Dark Kingdom, can you really be surprised when the evil they put in you takes over and you're forced to attack? _

_ The beam of light fired from Sailor V hit him and he fell backwards, over the ledge. _

_ "There is only one fate…my path ends without ever reaching you…that is my fate." Kaitou said hopelessly as he fell but Minako reached down and grabbed his hand. _

_ And in that moment, I knew that there was only one thing left to do. I had to assure you that you would never have to choose between your love for your princess and your love for anyone else. _

_ The ace of hearts flew up in the air and tore itself apart. _

_ "I'll tell your final love fortune; your love will be hopeless for all eternity." He couldn't understand her horrified expression. Didn't she realize how he had helped her?_

_ His body faded away as she tried to hold onto him. _

"I wish things would have been different for us, Minako-hime." Kaitou pulled out his final card. The Joker. The suicide attack.

"Maybe one day…in another lifetime…" Minako gave him a sad smile. "Things will be different…"

Then Minako focused all her power together at once. "Crescent BEAM!" And there was a huge explosion of light as her attack and Kaitou's suicide attack combined, killing the two winged youma around them.

A large thing of ice had exploded from the ground and their bodies hung from it, just close enough that Kaitou could reach up his hand and touch hers one last time.

"She can have the Ginzuishou!" Usagi covered her face, unable to see the sight of the two dead bodies. "Beryl can have it if that's what she wants!"

"I'll…" Minako's voice was faint by there, fading slowly. "I'll never forgive you if you do…"

_This is it for Sailor V…_

_ Game Endless…_

Mamoru and Rei pulled on Usagi, they had to keep moving but Usagi wanted to grieve over her fallen comrades. Tears were pouring down her face and Mamoru wanted to be able to stop and let her weep but he knew that they couldn't waste the deaths of the Sailor Senshi.

"Look, there's the entrance." Rei sensed the last evil presence waiting for them. Waiting for _her_. Mamoru and Usagi stared at the cave, with the faintly glowing light coming from it.

"We're almost there Usako." Mamoru tried to tell the blonde-haired girl who looked far from being consoled. "We have to go on."

"How can you just walk away Rei?" Usagi asked the raven-haired senshi.

"It's not any easier for me than it is for you." Rei told her in a pained voice. "But this is what Minako and the others wanted. We swore way back in the Silver Millennium that we would lay down our own lives for you and we have to keep that promise."

A light suddenly appeared in front of them, a ball of light that turned into the elongated shape of a sword. It was Venus' sword, recognizable at a glance.

"Mamoru-san, you should probably take it." Rei seemed very grave as she said this. Mamoru stepped forward and took hold of the sword. "It's not that much further, you and Usagi-chan can make it."

"Rei…you're not…" Usagi's face crumpled up again. "You're going to come too, right? We're all going to get there together…" Usagi already knew that this was not how it was going to happen, that Rei was going to stay put.

"You and Mamoru will get there together." Rei gave her an encouraging smile. "I'm going to help you get there. Go on."

_"Baka. You're our princess. You think that means you can do everything? Only you would blame yourself. Baka…" _

_ Rei-chan…even though you were mean to me…you really cared about me…_

_ How do you expect me to leave you like this?_

Usagi couldn't help herself and threw her arms around Rei, hoping that the raven-haired girl wouldn't make her leave. She didn't want to think about the others, dead and by themselves…she couldn't stay to grieve over them because they had forced her on.

"Gomen nasai." Rei's voice was tight as though she was going to start crying. "Gomen nasai."

And then she shoved Usagi away from her roughly and Mamoru took hold of the hysterical girl who cried out for Rei but Rei shook her head at Mamoru.

"Go!" She ordered. "Mamoru…protect her…only you can now…"

_Makoto, Ami, Minako…I'll be joining you soon. _

_ Just one last fight before I go. _

As Usagi left her, Rei felt the evil presence above her and tried to use her attack before the winged woman. "Fire Soul!" But the winged woman dodged and dived down, pinning Rei to the cold, hard ground.

But this youma made one mistake, and that was not to pin Rei's arms. Rei fired her attack, engulfing both her and this screaming youma.

_The last one…Usagi can get there safely now. _

_ I wanted to reassure her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. _

_ But I don't know if it will be…_

_ Good-bye Usagi-chan…_

_--------------------_

The manga version of events is a little more hectic and it's only _implied _that the Sailor Senshi died because get this, Naoko was told by her boss that she couldn't kill the senshi. I read it in the new notes at the end of the re-released Sailor Moon manga. She was really mad when she saw the anime version, which blatantly killed them off and she had to be really vague about it.

I had to pull direct quotes from the translations of the Sailor V manga for the story to make sense between Kaitou Ace and Sailor V. The only reason I am angry at Kaitou Ace is really just because the ending is so sad because Minako is so sad when he dies. I wanted them to somehow pull through but knew it wouldn't end up happening as Sailor V is the prequel of Sailor Moon and she isn't with him then. (Though there are several moments in the manga where it shows Sailor V holding an ace of hearts but that doesn't really count.)

So I did the anime thing. It's more emotional right there in the anime then it is in the manga in my opinion. And I know, I know, Ami and Makoto, the poor neglected characters. I don't find it easy to write about them, I have no idea why. Minako and Rei just come more naturally to me…I guess that's just the way it goes. Usagi cried a lot in this chapter...small wonder I suppose but I kept thinking about just knocking her out so they could get there easier but then decided against it. Please review!


	23. The North Pole REALLY Sucks

Teresa, I just got the kind of coffee you get with the doughnut except I never get the doughnut, I just have the cup of coffee! (I would be eating doughnuts except that my dad is super picky and will only eat un-glazed cake doughnuts. How completely uncivilized. Viva la raspberry filled glazed Krispy Kremes!) So now that I've been spoiling you guys rotten with updates, I better get on with it…

A note: Just to clear something up now, in the manga, Empress Metallia ends up 'swallowing' Mamoru and Usagi after Beryl dies as opposed to the anime where Metallia fuses with Beryl to form what I affectionately refer to as 'Super Berry Kool-Aid Beryl'. (Cause she's blue…) In the manga, Venus kills Beryl dead with her sword. So I took the liberty of combining it as I did with manga/anime storylines throughout the whole story.

I've put Queen's 'Who Wants To Live Forever?" on repeat so let's get this show on the road!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Codename wa Sailor V.

Warning: Sad, angst.

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Close Your Eyes

Chapter Twenty-Two

-----------------

_How can everyone expect me to be strong and go on?_

Usagi's grief was beyond tears now and she felt as though parts of herself were now missing with the deaths of the Sailor Senshi. It was taken all her strength just to put one foot in front of the other. Somewhere behind her were the others.

_Rei-chan…Minako-chan…Ami-chan…Makoto-chan…_

_How can I fight without you all?_

_You've always been there for me…_

"Usako…" Mamoru said the name as though unsure what her reaction would be. It hadn't been any easier to walk away from Rei for him then it had been for Usagi. He just wasn't crying as openly.

He remembered the look in Rei's eyes as she told him to protect the princess. She was entrusting the task to him. If she hadn't thought him capable of protecting Usagi, she wouldn't have given up her own life to make sure they reached the Dark Kingdom. That was the way Rei was, thinking of how to protect Usagi best.

_It was hard to leave one of my few friends behind…_

_Rei…I hope you'll forgive me._

"I hate this place!" Usagi suddenly wailed, looking like she just couldn't go on anymore. They had gotten into the entrance of the Dark Kingdom and it seemed to be an endless tunnel of darkness. "It's dark and cold and I just don't care!"

"Usako, we have to keep—" Mamoru was cut off by a hysterical Usagi.

"We have to keep going! Everyone keeps saying that! I have to keep going and leave people behind so they can die! I don't want people to die for me! I wish I wasn't the princess! I wish I wasn't a Sailor Senshi!" Usagi fell to her knees, opening crying. "Why does everyone expect me to be strong?! I'm too weak to do this! I just want to go home and I want everyone to be alive again!"

"Look at you, you selfish, weak little girl." The mature sneer of a woman echoed as they heard someone walking towards them in the darkness. "If you want to go home so badly, all you have to do is give me the Ginzuishou." Mamoru tensed immediately at the sound of that voice.

"Beryl." His voice was like cold steel.

And out of the shadows, a tall woman with red hair that flowed down to her hips walked towards them. She had fangs and pointed ears, marking her as something like a youma. Mamoru knew that once she _had_ been human. But that was long ago.

Usagi had stopped her emotional tirade to stare at Beryl, half fearing the power of this formidable woman.

"Endymion." Beryl's smile widened at him, almost indulgently so. "I see that our power over you has been broken."

"I'm not your puppet anymore if that's what you mean." Mamoru's hand gripped Minako's sword. "You don't look the same as you did." In his memories, in Endymion's memories, Beryl had been a dark-haired young woman with pale eyes.

"Oh." Beryl's hand went up, her long, slim fingers going into her red hair to twist a few strands. "When the weak seal that Queen Serenity put on Metallia and I was broken, I was reborn with more power than before and it changed my appearance. But surely you did not come here just to reminisce about what was…" Usagi felt something boiling in her mind at the sight of this woman.

_This is the woman…this is the woman that caused the deaths of the others…_

_Who caused the fall of the Moon Kingdom…_

_"Good-bye…my daughter…"_

_I would have been able to know you mother…_

"You…you…" Usagi couldn't control her words. "YOU GIVE THEM BACK!" She stood as she yelled it at the red-haired woman who only raised her eyebrows in response. "Give them back to me!"

"Your friends?" Beryl guessed, not looking perplexed at all. "I could bring them back to life for you, _if _you give me the Ginzuishou."

"Usako, don't." Mamoru took a step in front of her. "She's lying."

"But…I want them back…" Usagi looked torn.

"How could you accuse me of lying Endymion?" Beryl's eyes narrowed. "You're the one who deceives others!"

"Beryl, I never meant to deceive you." Mamoru's brow furrowed. "I told you I didn't love you."

"Oh yes, I forgot, the precious Tsuki no Hime!" Beryl snapped angrily and turned her vicious glare on Usagi. "Worth more to you than honor or your kingdom or your loyalty!"

"Beryl, you and I both know you weren't angry at me for breaking the laws about communication between the Earth and the Moon." Mamoru seemed just as angry as she was. "Usako, whatever you do, you can't give her the Ginzuishou."

"If she gives me the Ginzuishou, I'll revive her friends." Beryl stated. Usagi hesitated. Should she give Beryl the Ginzuishou? To have her friends back?

"Remember what Minako said." Mamoru said quietly and Usagi froze completely.

_"I'll…I'll never forgive you if you do…"_

_Minako-chan…_

_This woman is evil. She's taken everything from me. Why would she help me now?_

"I won't." Usagi answered, even though part of her longed to say yes, just to see her friends again. "I won't do it. Minako-chan said not to…"

"Fine." Beryl's face tightened angrily. "I'm glad the Doom and Gloom Girls didn't kill you, it means that I will get to do it." She held out her hand and a sword formed in it.

Usagi had a horrible flashback of Beryl, a sword about to bear down on her, and Endymion jumping in the way so that the sword ran him through instead of her.

_Is it going to happen all over again?_

Beryl rushed forward and so did Mamoru, her sword made contact with Minako's sword. Usagi watched fearfully, not knowing what would happen now.

_Is it the same as before?_

_Dying to protect me…I'm not worth people's lives! _

"You can't win Endymion." Beryl growled angrily at him as their swords were pushed together and they were both hoping for the other's sword to break. "And you won't win with your precious moon princess and your Ginzuishou. Stop this now and stand at my side."

"I would rather die." Mamoru told her, pushing with both his arms and Beryl stumbled back a few steps.

"I would rather have you dead then in the arms of that twit!" Beryl quickly went back to fighting with him. She knew that he was concentrating on his fight with her and not so much on the princess.

She turned suddenly, rushing towards Usagi, this time with no way for Endymion to get in her way. She would kill the woman who had taken Endymion away from her. Who had stolen the only light in her life.

_You had your precious palace and your Ginzuishou…_

_Why did you have to have him too?  
  
_

She sucked air in sharply as she felt a horrible pain in her abdomen. Looking down, she saw a glittering white sword with blood covering it sticking out of her stomach.

"No…" She whispered in disbelief. "It can't be…"

This was it for her. This was oblivion spread before Beryl.

_Endymion…_

_All I ever wanted…was you…_

The last thing she saw before death took her was Usagi staring down at her with her wide blue eyes. She hated the princess so much, why was she worth so much more than Beryl?

"She's…dead." Usagi couldn't believe it. "But…where's Metallia?"

As if on cue, a horrible screaming sound came echoing through the cave. It sounded as though thousands of people were screaming at once.

"Usako!" Mamoru ran, pushing them both to the ground. But even as they clung to each other, Usagi knew that the terrible thing coming would find them. Blackness swallowed them whole and she couldn't do anything at all as she squeezed her eyes shut.

-----------------

_"Usagi-chan! Wake up!" _

_Minako-chan? But it can't be you…_

"Usako, wake up!" Mamoru's voice made her eyes open very slowly. All around them was pulsating darkness and she felt evilness all around her, as though they were trapped in a bubble of evil.

"Huh? Where are we?" Usagi asked as she looked around this dark place in confusion.

"You're inside of me, princess." A horrible, unearthly voice told her, echoing painfully in the walls. "Now I hold the power of the Ginzuishou in my body. I will reclaim the world as Empress Metallia."

"We're inside Metallia?!" Usagi asked in a shocked voice. How were they supposed to get out of here?! "We have to seal her away!"

"Only you have the power to do that." Mamoru told her importantly. Usagi looked down unsurely.

"Do I really have the power to stop her?" Usagi asked in a doubtful voice.

"You can. I know you can." Mamoru grabbed her hands so that that he held them close to his chest. "You said you aren't strong…that's not true. You have the strongest heart of all of us. That's why you're the only one who can fight Metallia."

_A strong heart…_

Usagi brought out the Ginzuishou; it glowed brightly in her hands. Metallia made a noise that made it clear she was nervous. The brightness intensified and in a flash, Usagi's outfit changed from her sailor fuku to the beautiful white dress she had always worn as Princess Serenity. A crescent moon shined on her forehead.

Mamoru's tuxedo transformed into his armor and sword. He put his hands on Usagi's shoulders, his fingers tightening in a comforting way. He had to believe in her, had to believe in her ability. And he did.

A shining barrier went around them and suddenly they were picked up in a white bubble, bursting forth from Metallia and going into the sky, to turn and face the evil empress. Metallia was a huge black thing with a crown of some sort on what was clearly her face.

She opened her mouth and a stream of dark energy came out at the same time that a bright white light shot from the Ginzuishou. The two different energies hit each other and seemed to be trying to fight their way towards the intended target. Usagi strained at the effort.

_Can I do this? _

_Can I really seal Metallia away?_

_"The heart full of love and does not surrender to sorrow can make the seal strong." _

_But with the others dead…how can I not be full of sorrow?_

Then she felt a hand cover her own. She opened her eyes and stared at a transparent Rei, smiling at her in a proud sort of way.

"Do you think that even though we're dead, we're going to leave you?" Rei asked her and Usagi's eyes began to fill with tears of happiness. These were her friends, her true friends. Another hand covered Rei's.

"Don't be sad." A transparent Makoto told her.

"Stay strong, Usagi-chan." Ami's hand covered Makoto's.

"You have to win, for everyone that has suffered at the hands of the Dark Kingdom." Minako's hand covered Usagi's. Usagi saw that Minako's other hand was being held onto by a ghostly Kaitou.

"Don't think we're going to let you fight on your own Endymion!" Mamoru turned his head to see the Shittenou, Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoicite, and Kunzite standing there. Jadeite put a hand on his arm and they all followed suit, covering Jadeite's hand.

"But you're…" Mamoru didn't understand. "You were…"

"We regained our memories as your former guardians." Kunzite explained. "I hope you'll accept our help, prince." Mamoru nodded, his face lighting up in a smile.

He then turned towards Usagi who smiled back at him. All their friends and old companions around them, it seemed hard to be sad.

_I won't give in to sorrow! _

_I have to defeat Metallia!_

A great burst of light came from the Ginzuishou and obliterated the dark energy that Metallia had sent towards her, hitting Metallia directly. There was a screaming and then a large booming noise as an explosion result from the hit. The light spread, engulfing them all, even Usagi and Mamoru.

Usagi saw the Ginzuishou shatter before her eyes.

_This is it…I've used the Ginzuishou's power…_

_I'm going to die now…_

_And be with the others…_

_I just wish…_

The light was all around, blinding her like a thousand suns. She didn't know how she could keep her eyes open with the brightness blinding her. She felt Mamoru's hand squeeze her own one last time.

_I just wish everyone could be happy. That's all I ever wanted…_

-----------------------

The End!

Omigod, you should have seen your face. (Not that I can see it but I can imagine what it looks like.) That _was_ the last chapter buuuuuuuut, there's an epilogue! Yeah, I would never leave you guys hanging like that. How cruel would _that _be??? It's funny, while writing this chapter, I kept listening to that Queen song and when it go to a big swell of "Who wants to live forever?", was exactly when I wrote Rei's part. It fit really well! Anyways…please review! __


	24. Game Endless

Hey guys! It's time to end our long relationship together. Isn't that sad? But don't worry, I still have The Evening of the Moon when it comes to Sailor Moon stories. Of course after that, it's a long ways till the next Sailor Moon story I'll be putting up. It will be called 'Der Vampir' and don't be fooled by the title, it might not be what you think it is. It all takes place in Victorian London, a setting I've been dying to try out. Anyways…

Thank You's: Who do I thank? I guess my own mind for complaining so much. I didn't understand why Codename wa Sailor V had such a great storyline and yet none of it is ever mentioned in Sailor Moon. (It turns out that there is some explanation for it as the final volume of Sailor V was finished three months before the final volume of Sailor Moon.) There's a lot of great things about the manga that are not in the anime and there's great things in the anime that aren't in the manga so I thought it would be fun to combine everything together. I have to thank Teresa for just general support as I wrote this story. I'd also like to thank all the reviewers, especially those of you who were there since the beginning! Thanks for the support! Hey, and I really have to thank the reviewers (though I don't remember who exactly) who found this story again after it was deleted a year ago because apparently it had 'inappropriate material for the rating'. (It's exactly the same as it was then, I don't see what the problem was.)

Oh, and I know this is sort of off-topic buuuuut, if any of you are really familiar with Cardcaptor Sakura and it's fanfiction then please go to Project Protégé. (The link is on my profile.) They're in serious need of some judges for Cardcaptor Sakura fanfiction and nominations can't begin without more judges.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Codename wa Sailor V.

Warnings: Ooooh…you know…stuff.

------------------

Close Your Eyes

Epilogue

-----------------

Kino Makoto tapped her fingers on her kitchen counter. It wouldn't be too much longer before her cookies were done. She decided to finish up the small amount of dishes she had from making the cookies while the oven baked.

_I should pack extra cookies tomorrow in my lunch._

And then the tall brunette girl got the sudden mental image of someone eating parts of her lunch and that's why she would have to take extra. She shook her head, she didn't know anybody like that.

As she finished up the dishes, the timer on the oven dinged and she quickly got her potholders and pulled out the cookie tray. She set them down and got out some cooling racks to put the cookies on.

_That's weird…why did I make cookies shaped like bunnies?_

_Oh well, they are pretty cute._

Makoto dismissed the whole thing quickly, instead focusing on how happy and content she was just to sit there and bake.

-----------------------

Ami Mizuno chewed on her pen, looking out the window from her desk. She had been studying all day, her brain was beginning to feel a little overworked. Perhaps she should take a break? No, that sort of attitude would never get her into medical school. She blew the bangs out of her eyes, adjusted her glasses, and took the pen out of her mouth.

And just then, she thought of a small blue computer and typing on it right here at this desk. But that was impossible, she had never even owned a blue computer before, so she had to just be imagining things.

_Maybe I am working too hard. _

_Alright, break for five minutes, get something to eat and stretch your legs. _

She took her glasses off, folding them and putting them down on the desk, next to her notes. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blonde-haired girl with a red bow in her hair sitting on her bed. Ami blinked, shaking her head, only to see that there wasn't any girl there at all.

_Yes, I really am working too hard. _

Even though other kids considered studying tedious and groaned about it, Ami found it to be when she got into her element. It was the activity she felt most comfortable doing.

_You can't be a doctor if you don't study. _

---------------------

Hino Rei looked up, stopping right there in the middle of sweeping the grounds of the Hikawa Jinja. She couldn't help it. Looking up at that blue sky and having the wind rustle through her hair were moments that didn't come very often and made her feel very peaceful.

Two middle-school girls finished buying charms from her grandpa and as soon as they spotted her, they leaned their heads together and began whispering, obviously about her with looks of growing fear. Rei was used to this and went back to her sweeping, they had ruined her mood.

_I guess this is what I get for being the freaky psychic girl of the Hikawa Jinja. _

_"Who do you think you're trying to fool here Mamoru-san?"_

Rei frowned at that thought. She didn't know a Mamoru. She didn't really remember saying that to anyone but at the same time she knew it was her voice. Maybe she would consult the fire later.

Two black crows cawed from their perch on a nearby tree and she smiled at them. Good old Phobos and Deimos, bringing her back to reality. She really needed to finish sweeping and get inside. It was probably the sun getting to her.

_I better check the fire just the same._

And so she continued to sweep the grounds of her temple, her one sanctuary against the whole world. It was here that she felt the most at home.

-------------------

_I hope I got everything._

Aino Minako carried her grocery bags as she walked along the sidewalk towards her house. She tried to peer inside the bag. She knew that she had for sure gotten cabbage but part of her wasn't sure if she had bought the lemons or she had gotten distracted by one of those idol magazines.

_One day I'm going to be an idol and be famous. _

As she was trying to look in the grocery bag, she wasn't paying any attention to where she was walking and her shoulder hit another person's shoulder.

"Oh, sorry!" Minako apologized immediately and looked up into a pair of beautiful blue eyes. She had bumped right into a rather handsome blonde-haired boy who looked just as startled by her as she did by him.

"No, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." He waved her apology away. "My fault completely…" He gave her a small smile and Minako found her whole face lighting up. He turned, walking on and Minako turned back in the direction of her house.

_Wow! He was so cute! _

_And polite…oh I think it's true love!_

_"Oh, he's sooo great! He's my 300th first love!"_

Minako frowned at that thought, trying to recall who had said that to her. It was hard to say. It was like something she had heard in a movie or a show. So she liked to fall in love? It wasn't like there was anything wrong with that.

_Being in love is when people are happy! _

---------------------

Chiba Mamoru walked along, going towards the Crown Arcade. He felt like a cup of coffee and it was a good place to get a cheap cup of coffee. He reached into his pocket to see how much money on him but instead of closing around money, his hand closed around something strange and hard.

He pulled his hand out to reveal four stones in his hand.

_Now that's weird, when did I put these in my pocket?_

As he scratched his head, trying to figure out how he had gotten a hold of the four strange stones, he opened the door, going inside. He stopped for a second because he wanted to make sure he did have money and someone ran right into him.

"Ow!" A female voice exclaimed in pain. He turned around to see who had run into him, only to see a blonde haired girl with odangoes on her head, rubbing her nose in an irritated fashion. "Watch what you're doing next time."

"I could say the same to you. Obviously you weren't looking forward." Mamoru replied, frowning at the girl. She stared at him for a few moments, blinking, and looking as though she were trying to recall something.

"I don't know you, do I?" She cocked her head to one side.

"I don't think so." Mamoru shook his head.

"Oh, well I didn't think so. I couldn't think of anybody as rude as you." She pursed her lips.

"Thank you very much for that assessment, Odango Atama." Mamoru instantly dubbed her and turned to walk away, leaving a fuming Tsukino Usagi behind him.

"Odango Atama?!" Usagi stomped her foot in anger. "Who does he think he is?" She turned on her heel, going back out the door, feeling completely put out. Had she not been angry, she might have noticed the two cats in the window sill, watching the whole thing.

"How long are we supposed to wait to wake up their memories?" Luna inquired.

"Why spoil the fun?" Artemis asked mischievously.

"Oh Artemis…you're so irresponsible." Luna rolled her eyes and jumped down from the window sill to follow Usagi home.

"Hey, wait for me!" Artemis called as he ran after her.

-----------------------

"I can't believe we're going back." Seiya commented as he turned the key to the house, locking it. "It's been so long! I can't wait to see Kinmokusei again."

"Although Earth is a beautiful planet, I do find myself thinking of home." Kakyuu nodded her head in understanding.

"It's kind of sad though…" Taiki remarked.

"Not really, since he's happy." Kakyuu replied, instantly knowing to what her Starlight was referring to. It was time to leave at last.

-----------------------

"Aren't you going to miss them?" Hotaru asked before blowing on her steaming cup of tea in the little coffee shop on the corner around from her and Setsuna's apartment. Well, _her _apartment now. It was going to be sad without Setsuna around but she had to back to the Gates of Time eventually…she had promised to come back and visit Hotaru as often as she could.

"A little…" Yaten admitted. It was hard to think that Kakyuu had given him permission to stay on Earth so that he could stay with Hotaru. She promised that they would visit regularly and send for him if they needed him. "It's kind of funny…as much time as I spent moaning about wanting to leave, you wouldn't have guessed I'd be the one to stay."

"I'm glad you did." Hotaru smiled at him.

Outside the coffee shop, watching through one of the windows was a tall, green-haired woman with dark red eyes. She was smiling at the two, genuinely happy for the two of them.

"I'll see you soon." Setsuna murmured before walking away.

-------------------

Okay, now it's really the end. I know, it kind of sucks that none of them remember but it's what happened in the anime. But I'm kind of a sucker for a happy ending and it's kind of happy in some ways. There won't be a sequel. I know, it's sad and I actually did have two ideas for sequels but they'll never get written and one of them was waaaay too much like another Sailor Moon fanfic idea I have about for an alternate universe S season fanfic. So I vetoed it. I know, it's sad to say good-bye but you can always just read The Evening of the Moon. (I'm working on an update, I really am.) Thanks for reading!


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